The Boy and the Wolf Aesop
A little boy was once sent to a field to look after some sheep. His father said, “If a wolf comes into the field, you must cry, ‘Wolf! Wolf!’ The men who are at work in the next field will come and drive him away.” For many days no wolf came. One day the little boy thought he would have some fun. He cried out, “O, help! a wolf! a wolf!” The men ran to him at once. “Where, where is the wolf?” they cried. The boy laughed. “O, I called you for fun,” he said. “There is no wolf.” The men did not see any fun in this, and they went back to their work. Two or three times the boy called to the men when there was no wolf. At last a wolf did get into the field. O, how the boy did cry then! “A wolf! O, help, help! A wolf is here!” The men heard the boy; but they said, “O, he is making fun again!” So they did not run to help him. The wolf killed some of the sheep and carried them off to his den. The boy wished he had not called the men in fun. 13