A little boy lived in a village that lay at the foothills of a mountain. He was naughty and mischievous. He played pranks on his friends and laughed at their follies. The boy told them impossible tales with a straight face. When they believed him, he sneered at them, “That was a tall story, you fools!” This became a habit with him. He lied to everyone, even to his parents. They tried to correct him, but failed. His teachers advised him. But he did not change.

Holidays came. His parents asked the boy to take the sheep out to graze in the hills. He agreed. His mother packed lunch for him and put it in his shoulder bag. Into the bag went a flute, a sling and a few round pebbles. “Be careful. In the hills, there are wolves. They are clever. Often wolves come in packs, grab kids and sheep and run away. You have to be alert,” said his mother, as the boy opened the gates to let the sheep out. He told her not to worry.

He waved a long stick, herded the sheep, and often made odd sounds to direct the sheep towards the hills. Soon, he reached a slope covered with lush green grass. “Here my sheep will get their fill,” he told himself and sat down under a tree.

At noon, he took his lunch. For some time, he played on the flute. Then he felt bored. He yawned. He wished he could pull a fast one on someone. The boy scanned the scene. His eyes set on a team of woodcutters from the village moving along the footpath, which lay a little distance away. He ran down the slope, toward the woodcutters, screaming, “Wolf! Wolf!” The woodcutters raised their axes and ran to the boy. They asked him, “Where is the wolf?” The boy burst into laughter. “There is no wolf around here. I just lied to you. And you fell for it.” The woodcutters scolded him and walked away.

A few days later, once again, the boy noticed a group of potters digging out mud near where the cattle were grazing. He cried, “Wolf! Wolf!” The potters dropped everything, ran to him, waving their sticks and spades. “Where is the wolf?” the potter, who reached the boy first, asked. “Wolf! You thought there was a wolf around! I called out Wolf to fool you,” the boy clapped his hands and laughed loudly. The potters abused him, called him names and went away.

The tale spread all through the village. The villagers told each other, “That boy is a liar. He calls wolf once too often.” As ill luck would have it, three days later, he noticed a wolf stalking his sheep. The boy got the fright of his life. He had a stout stick in his hand, but he did not dare to go after the wolf.

The boy cried, loudly, “Wolf! Wolf!” A group of villagers, who worked as guards in the forest, heard the call. They thought of rushing to the boy’s help. Then they remembered that the boy was a liar. “He is trying the same old trick. We are not fools to fall for his trick,” said the leader of the group. The party moved off to another part of the forest.

The wolf charged at the boy when it found him in its way. The boy ducked and ran for his life. The sheep ran helter-skelter. The wolf grabbed a kid and ran off. A few more wolves, waiting for their turn, too, managed to grab a sheep each.

In the evening, the boy returned home. He looked sad and beaten. His mother counted the flock. Four sheep were missing.”Where are the sheep?” she asked. He told her, “Wolves came and took them away. I called for help. The guards heard my call. But they did not come to my help.”

“You know why? Twice you sent out false alarms. And you laughed at those who came to help you. This time, though you told the truth, the forest guards thought you were up to your dirty trick. You stupid boy. Your father won’t be pleased when he learns that you lost four sheep,” she shouted at him in anger.

The boy fell into her arms and sobbed. “I know now, I cried wolf once too often. I promise you, I won’t lie in future. Never again.”

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Summary

This classic fable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” demonstrates the severe consequences of dishonesty through the tale of a mischievous boy who repeatedly cries “Wolf!” as a prank. Initially, villagers rush to his aid, only to discover his lies, leading them to label him a liar who “calls wolf once too often.” The story culminates in a dramatic turn when an actual wolf attacks his flock, and despite his genuine cries for help, no one comes to his rescue because his past deceptions have eroded their trust. Ultimately, the boy loses four sheep, learning a bitter lesson that lying, even for sport, has serious repercussions and can lead to others disbelieving you when you genuinely need help.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Meaning

Don’t repeat a lie again and again. Others will get the impression that you are a liar and will not believe you, even if you tell the truth.

Alternative

Once a liar, always a liar.
Nobody trusts a liar. Don’t cry wolf once too often.

II. Quiz

Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences. (Click on Page 2 for Answer Key)

1. What kind of person is the boy at the beginning of the story?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What advice did the boy’s parents and teachers give him regarding his behaviour?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the boy’s initial prank when he is tending the sheep?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How do the woodcutters and potters react to the boy’s false alarms?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How does the village’s perception of the boy change after his pranks?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What happens when a real wolf attacks the sheep?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Why do the forest guards not come to the boy’s rescue when the real wolf appears?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What are the consequences of the boy’s lies?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What lesson does the boy learn from this experience?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________