Once upon a time, there was a mischievous shepherd boy. He had several sheep that he grazed on a hill. He lived in a nearby village.
The villagers were friendly, and everyone helped each other when they were in danger. When wolves attacked the flock, everyone came together to help.
One day, the shepherd boy decided to pull a prank.
“Wolf! Wolf! Wolf, help me!” he cried.
The villagers rushed to his aid when they heard his cries. They brought bamboo sticks to frighten the wolves. However, when they arrived at the hill, they discovered no wolf.
“Ha ha ha, I was having fun with you all,” the boy said, laughing at them.
The villagers became enraged, and one villager advised, “You should not engage in playing tricks. We were concerned about you.”
But the boy didn’t pay attention. The boy cried out again the next day, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf, Help! Please help me.”
Villagers fled to the hill, only to be fooled once more by the shepherd boy. There were no wolves present.
“Why do you continue to tell lies?” A villager inquired of the boy.
“I’m just having fun,” the boy laughed.
A few days have passed. One afternoon, the boy was grazing his sheep when he heard Wolf’s howl. He became alarmed when he noticed wolves emerging from the bushes. A wolf suddenly attacked the sheep.
“Help, help, the wolves have arrived,” The boy shouted and cried. Everyone thought he was deceiving them. No one from the village came to help.
The villagers were shocked when they arrived at the hill in the evening. They found the boy weeping on the ground, and all his sheep had died. The wolf attack was genuine.
The boy approached them and inquired, “Why didn’t you come to help me? I cried several times.”
“Because you’ve always lied and fooled us. We thought you’d trick us again,” the villagers explained.
“No one trusts a liar, even if he is speaking the truth,” an elderly man said.
After losing his sheep, the boy learned his lesson.
Moral: We should never tell lies because people will lose faith in our truths as well. If you lie continuously for help, no one will come to your aid when you genuinely require it.
Also read The Ugly Duckling.