Before Reading
Read the story
1. Read the story and answer the following questions:
- Why did the boy cry “Wolf” the first time?
- How did the villagers react when they found no wolf?
- What happened when the boy saw a real wolf?
- What did the old man say to the boy?
- What lesson did the boy learn at the end of the story?
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Once upon a time, there was a young shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself, he took a great breath and shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!”
The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.
“Don’t cry ‘wolf’, shepherd boy,” the villagers said, “when there’s no wolf!” They went grumbling back down the hill.
Later, the boy played the trick again, crying, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.
When the villagers saw no wolf, they said, “Save your frightened cry for when there really is a wolf! Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there is no wolf!” But the boy smiled and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.
Later, he saw a real wolf walking around his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and cried out as loudly as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!” But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn’t come.
At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn’t returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping. “There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out ‘Wolf!’ Why didn’t you come?”
An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village. He put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and said, “Nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth.”
The villagers helped the boy gather the scattered sheep. From that day on, the boy learned a valuable lesson. He never again cried “Wolf!” when there was no wolf. He understood the importance of honesty and trust.
Lesson:
This story teaches us that if we lie and deceive others, they will not believe us when we are telling the truth. Trust is built on honesty.
After Reading
1. True or False
2. Answer the questions
- Have you ever lied to get attention? What happened?
- Why is it important to be honest?
- How can lying affect your relationships with others?