THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

Pic.: Manoj Nair

Years ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found it very useful – was telling a nice story in two tenses… Past and Present. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people who were earnest to improve their English with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and tell it to someone.

I love this Aesop’s fable. My teachers and elders had narrated it to me to convey as to what happens if I cried wolf just to fool others! For the same reason, I keep narrating this story to my young shepherds, almost every day, in my classroom!

THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

PAST:

There was this shepherd boy who took sheep to hillside for grazing. As the sheep grazed, he sat alone in the shade of a tree. In the evening, he brought the sheep home. One day, he got bored and thought of having some fun. Thus, he cried loudly, “Wolf, wolf… Please come, help me!”

On hearing the boy’s cry, the villagers picked their sticks and rushed towards the hillside. But, when they reached the site, they found no wolf around. “Where is the wolf?” they asked the boy.

“I was just fooling,” the boy teased them.

“Don’t do that again,” the villagers warned the boy as they went back.

A couple of days passed by. The boy got bored once again and decided to play the same prank. “Wolf, wolf,” he cried loudly, “Please come, please help!”

Instinctively the villagers picked their sticks. But, some of them said, “What if he is just fooling?” Others said, “No, he may not make the same mistake, again.”

So, they all rushed to the hillside where they found no wolf around.

“Where is the wolf?” they asked the boy angrily.

“You got fooled, once again,” the boy teased them proudly.

“You are inviting trouble for yourself, you shameless boy,” the villagers warned him and left.

The next day, a giant wolf really arrived and the boy got the fright of his life. “There is a real wolf here and he is taking away the sheep,” he cried hysterically, “Please come, please help.”

But, the villagers had lost trust in the boy and decided not to respond. The boy continued to cry, “Believe me, there is a real wolf here… I need help… Please come.”

But, it was too late… The shepherd boy had fooled himself!

PRESENT:

There is this shepherd boy who takes sheep to hillside for grazing. As the sheep graze, he sits alone in the shade of a tree. In the evening, he brings the sheep home. One day, he gets bored and thinks of having some fun. Thus, he cries loudly, “Wolf, wolf… Please come, help me!”

On hearing the boy’s cry, the villagers pick their sticks and rush towards the hillside. But, when they reach the site, they find no wolf around. “Where is the wolf?” they ask the boy.

“I was just fooling,” the boy teases them.

“Don’t do that again,” the villagers warn the boy as they go back.

A couple of days pass by. The boy gets bored once again and decides to play the same prank. “Wolf, wolf,” he cries loudly, “Please come, please help!”

Instinctively the villagers pick their sticks. But, some of them say, “What if he is just fooling?” Others say, “No, he may not make the same mistake, again.”

So, they all rush to the hillside where they find no wolf around.

“Where is the wolf?” they ask the boy angrily.

“You got fooled, once again,” the boy teases them proudly.

“You are inviting trouble for yourself, you shameless boy,” the villagers warn him and leave.

The next day, a giant wolf really arrives and the boy gets the fright of his life. “There is a real wolf here and he is taking away the sheep,” he cries hysterically, “Please come, please help.”

But, the villagers have lost trust in the boy and decide not to respond. The boy continues to cry, “Believe me, there is a real wolf here… I need help… Please come.”

But, it is too late… The shepherd boy has fooled himself!

GERALD D’CUNHA