The Boy Who Cried Wolf

There was once a shepherd boy named Tom who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a small village.

One day, feeling bored and lonely, Tom thought of a plan to amuse himself. He ran toward the village shouting at the top of his lungs, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is chasing the sheep!"

The kind villagers came running to help chase the wolf away. But when they arrived, they found no wolf—only Tom laughing at them.

"You shouldn't play tricks like that," said one villager. "What if there really is a wolf someday?"

A few days later, Tom tried the same trick again. "Wolf! Wolf!" he cried. Once more, the villagers came running, and once more, Tom laughed at them.

The villagers were angry. "Don't cry wolf when there is no wolf!" they warned.

Then, one evening, a real wolf actually appeared from the forest! It started sneaking toward the sheep, its hungry eyes gleaming.

"Wolf! Wolf! A real wolf! Help! Help!" screamed Tom as loud as he could.

The villagers heard him, but they said to each other, "It's probably just Tom playing tricks again. Let's not waste our time."

No one came to help. The wolf attacked the sheep, and Tom could only watch helplessly as his flock scattered in fear.

When the villagers finally came the next morning, Tom was crying. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "I learned my lesson. No one believes a liar, even when he tells the truth."

**Moral Lesson:** When you tell lies, people stop believing you—even when you're telling the truth. Always be honest.