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The Boy Who Cried Wolf facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
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The boy trying to chase after the wolf.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a famous fable by a storyteller named Aesop. A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson, often using animals as characters. This particular story is about a shepherd boy who learns a hard lesson about telling lies.

What is "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"?

The story tells us about a young shepherd boy whose job was to look after a flock of sheep. He was often bored while watching the sheep. To make things more exciting, he decided to play a trick on the people in his village.

The Story of the Shepherd Boy

One day, the boy ran into the village shouting, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!" The villagers, worried about their animals, quickly grabbed their tools and rushed to help him. But when they got to the fields, there was no wolf. The boy just laughed at their worried faces.

He played this trick several times. Each time, the villagers would rush out, and each time, the boy would laugh because there was no wolf. The villagers became annoyed and stopped believing him. They thought he was just trying to get attention.

Then, one day, a real wolf actually came to attack the sheep. The boy was terrified and shouted even louder than before, "Wolf! Wolf! Please help me! A real wolf is here!" But this time, the villagers had heard his cries too many times. They thought it was just another one of his tricks. They stayed in the village and did not come to help. Because no one came, the wolf was able to eat many of the boy's sheep.

The Moral of the Story

The main lesson from The Boy Who Cried Wolf is very important: if you often tell lies, people will stop believing you, even when you tell the truth. This means that if you are known for not being honest, people will find it hard to trust what you say, even when it really matters. The story teaches us that honesty is the best policy.

Where Does the Story Come From?

This fable is very old. It comes from ancient times, and it is one of the many stories told by Aesop. Aesop was a Greek storyteller who lived a very long time ago. His fables have been passed down through generations and are still taught today because their lessons are timeless.

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