The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Sammy was a little shepherd boy who watched sheep in a green meadow. All day long, he sat on a hill while his fluffy sheep ate grass. Sometimes Sammy got bored. There was nothing exciting to do. One day, Sammy had a silly idea. He stood up and shouted, "Wolf! Wolf! Help! A wolf is chasing my sheep!" The village people heard Sammy and ran up the hill. They carried brooms and shovels to chase away the wolf. But when they got there, Sammy was laughing. "There's no wolf! I was just pretending!" The people were not happy. They had to go all the way back to the village. The next day, Sammy felt lonely. He wanted to see the people again. "Wolf! Wolf!" he shouted even louder. Once more, the village people came running. And once more, there was no wolf. "Sammy," said the baker with flour on his nose, "you must not tell lies. What if a real wolf comes?" Sammy felt bad and said, "I'm sorry." The very next day, Sammy saw a big, shaggy dog running toward his sheep. The sheep got scared and ran away! "Wolf! Wolf!" Sammy called. "Help! My sheep are running away!" But no one came. The village people thought it was another trick. Sammy chased after his sheep, but they squeezed through a fence and disappeared over the hill. Feeling a little sheepish himself, Sammy returned to the village and apologised to the villagers for tricking them and for losing the sheep. Later that day, a kind farmer found the sheep and brought them back. "My dog likes to chase sheep," he explained. "I'm sorry she scared them." Sammy was so happy to see his sheep safe. He learned an important lesson that day: Always tell the truth. When people know you tell the truth, they will believe you when you need help. From that day on, Sammy became the most honest shepherd boy in the whole village. The End