Questions and Answers
1. What kind of person is the boy at the beginning of the story?
The boy is initially portrayed as mischievous and naughty. He enjoys playing pranks on his friends and laughing at them. He habitually tells “impossible tales” and then sneers at those who believe him, calling them “fools.” He has a consistent pattern of lying to everyone, including his parents and teachers, and refuses to change his ways despite their attempts to correct him.
2. What advice did the boy’s parents and teachers give him regarding his behaviour?
His parents “tried to correct him, but failed,” and his teachers “advised him.” Despite their efforts, the boy did not change his habit of lying.
3. What is the boy’s initial prank when he is tending the sheep?
While tending the sheep, the boy becomes bored and decides to “pull a fast one on someone.” He spots woodcutters nearby and runs towards them, screaming, “Wolf! Wolf!” When they rush to his aid, he bursts into laughter, admitting there’s no wolf and that he “just tried a lie.”
4. How do the woodcutters and potters react to the boy’s false alarms?
Both the woodcutters and the potters initially respond to the boy’s cries for help, dropping what they are doing and running to his aid. However, upon realising they have been tricked, they become angry. The woodcutters scold him, and the potters abuse him and call him names.
5. How does the village’s perception of the boy change after his pranks?
The boy’s repeated false alarms cause his reputation to spread throughout the village. Villagers begin to tell each other that “That boy is a liar. He calls wolf once too often.” This means they no longer trust his cries for help.
6. What happens when a real wolf attacks the sheep?
When a real wolf and then several more stalk and attack his sheep, the boy is terrified. He cries out loudly, “Wolf! Wolf!” for genuine help.
7. Why do the forest guards not come to the boy’s rescue when the real wolf appears?
Despite hearing the boy’s desperate cries for help, the forest guards (a group of villagers) decide not to go to his aid. They remember his past lies and conclude, “He is trying the same old trick. We are not fools to fall for his trick.” They believe he is playing another prank and move to another part of the forest.
8. What are the consequences of the boy’s lies?
As a direct consequence of his repeated lies and the villagers’ resulting distrust, the boy loses four of his sheep to the wolves. He also experiences the “fright of his life” and the shame of his mother’s anger and disappointment.
9. What lesson does the boy learn from this experience?
The boy ultimately learns a painful but important lesson about the consequences of dishonesty. He understands that his false alarms led people not to believe him when he told the truth. He tells his mother, “I know now, I cried wolf once too often. I promise you, I won’t lie in future. Never again.” This signifies his realisation of the importance of honesty and the damaging impact of a reputation for deceit.