The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The shepherd's boy grew bored tending the sheep and decided to play a trick.

"Help!" he shouted. "There's a wolf!"

The villagers came running, and he just laughed. "There's no wolf," he said.

A few weeks later, he did it again, laughing when the villagers came running.

Then, not long afterwards, the wolf really did attack the flock!

"Help!" he shouted. "There's a wolf!"

But no one came running.

He shouted even louder. He screamed. He shrieked.

No one came. "He won't fool us a third time," the villagers said.

So the wolf ravaged the flock, killing all the sheep.

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Inspired by: Mille Fabulae et Una, a collection of Latin fables that I've edited, free to read online. I am not translating the Latin here; instead, I am just telling a 100-word version of the fable. 

Notes: This is fable 76. Lupus et Puer Mendax in the book, which is Perry 210. 

illustration by Barlow