The Shepherd Boy Story

Down in a valley, near a thick forest, a village boy tended a flock of sheep. "Be careful," said one of the villagers, "the forest around is full of wild creatures. The wolves are fiercest of all. If ever one attacks your sheep, shout out 'wolf ' as loudly as you can and we shall come to help you." The boy replied, "Do not worry, I shall be careful."

So the boy drove his sheep to the valley ever day. All the day he kept a careful watch and in the evening he drove them again. Soon he was quite fed up of the routine. "What a dull and dreary work I have to do!" he thought. "I must have some fun." So he stood on a hillock and shouted at the top of his voice, "Wolf! Wolf!" With stick's and batons, clubs and axes in their hands, the villagers rushed to the place. "Where is the Wolf?" they said, gasping for breath. The boy laughed and said, "There is no wolf. I shouted merely for fun." They said, "Shame on you, you wicked, lazy mischief monger. If you play such a trick again, we shall beat you with sticks."

The boy kept quiet for few days. But he got restless. "I wonder whether they should come if I cried 'wolf ' this time." So thought the boy and began to shout again. The villagers heard him shouting. Some said he was again playing a trick on the, while other thought it might be true. So they ran out of the village to help the boy. When they found no wolf there, they were very angry. They gave him good beating and left him there crying instead of laughing. 

A few days later, a wolf did come. They boy was much frightened and he shouted. "Wolf! Wolf!" All heard bout no one took any notice of him. They thought he was making mischief once again. They could not person whom they had caught lying twice. The wolf several sheep and the boy repented of his folly.

Moral: Once a lair is always a liar.