A completing story about a shepherd boy who lied so often that no one believed him when danger really came.

The story begins: Once there was a shepherd boy who tended his sheep near a forest. He often felt bored and lonely, and one day he thought of a trick to amuse himself.

The Story

Every morning the boy took his flock of sheep to a green field at the edge of the village. The field lay close to a dark forest where wolves were known to live.

The work was quiet and dull. The boy had no friends nearby, so he spent long hours watching the sheep graze and wishing that something exciting would happen.

One afternoon a wicked idea came into his mind. He climbed a small hill and shouted with all his might, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is killing my sheep! Help me, please!"

The villagers heard his cry and ran to the field with sticks and stones to drive the wolf away. But when they arrived, they found no wolf at all. The boy laughed loudly at them, and the tired villagers went home grumbling.

The boy enjoyed the trick so much that he played it again a few days later. Once more he cried, "Wolf! Wolf!" and once more the kind villagers rushed to save him. Again they found nothing, and again the boy laughed at their trouble.

The villagers were now angry and warned him never to raise a false alarm again. They told him that a liar is never trusted, even when he speaks the truth.

A few days passed. Then one evening a real wolf crept out of the forest and sprang upon the flock. The frightened boy screamed, "Wolf! Wolf! Please help me! This time it is true!"

The villagers heard him, but they only shook their heads. "He is lying again," they said. "We will not be fooled a third time." So nobody came to help him.

The wolf killed and carried away many of the sheep while the boy wept helplessly. He lost most of his flock and returned home ashamed and full of sorrow.

Moral: Nobody believes a liar even when he speaks the truth.