The Boy Who Cried Wolf

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The Boy Who Cried WolfAesop’s famous story has worked it’s way into the English Language. The dictionary says that to cry wolf is to ” ask for help when you do not need it, with the result that no one believes you when help is necessary.”

In this Storynory version the boy is now an old man, and he looks back on the joke that went badly wrong and landed him with a reputation for silly pranks. It’s a real shorty – but we hope you will enjoy it – and we think it’s quite moving.

Read by Natasha. Duration 6.07


When I was a lad, my father used to send me out to the fields each day to watch over his sheep. Hey-how, there are worse jobs than sitting out in the fresh air all day, but it was boring work for a lad. I longed to be running around with my friends, playing ball, or making boyish mischief.

“Can’t the sheep look after themselves?” I asked my father. “After all, they know how to bleat and much grass, and there isn’t much else that they do.”

But father said it was important work. And most of importantly of all, I must keep my eyes pealed for the wolf, in case he came sneaking into the fields and grabbed on of the spring lambs.

And so I couldn’t even go to sleep. I had to sit and keep a sharp look-out. And a few weeks of this, I got so bored that began to wish that the wolf would show up and give me something to do.

And then I got thinking to myself. Let’s liven things up a bit, I thought. Let’s play a trick on the villagers. And so I got up an ran as fast as I could into the village shouting at the top of my voice:

“Wolf ! Wolf WOOOOOOOOLF !”

And the villagers grabbed sticks, rolling pins, and pitch-folks and came running up to the field to case away the world.

But when they got there, all was peaceful. The lambs were frolicking as usual, quite unmolested.

And I laughed

“Ha ha Fooled you all ! ”

But none of the villagers laughed with me. Some of them grumbled and and the blacksmith became quite angry and shouted at me. But he was just a bad sport who couldn’t see the funny side of my joke.

And so a week later I did the same thing again, only this time I put on an even better act. I daubed red paint on my arm, and pretended that the wolf had bitten me. This fooled even the blacksmith, who was on his guard after the last trick I had played.

And when they all arrived breathless in the field I again called out

“Ha Ha ! Fooled YOU! ”

And this time quite a few of the villagers were angry with me, and I got quite an ear wigging from the blacksmith, the teacher, and the iron-monger. When I got home, my father was furious and told me that I had a stupid sense of humour. But I thought it was funny. And so did my friends.

About a week after that, I was sitting up on the hill watching my father’s sheep as usual. It was getting on for evening, and the sun was setting behind the forrest. I would have to spend the night out there, and oh, how lonely and bored was I. Then all of a sudden the sheep dogs started to bark and the flock was running around and bleating like they had all gone made. Only they hadn’t. There was a wolf among the sheep and he had seized a lamb.

“Wolf ! Wolf ! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLF !” I called out and I ran into the village to get help.

But nobody came. Not one villager. They carried on doing whatever they were doing. Eating supper, drinking ale, or finishing off their work for the day.

‘But please,” I said to the blacksmith, “This time it’s true. There really is a wolf.”

And he just shrugged his shoulders.

You see nobody believes a liar, even when he’s speaking the truth.

And that’s why you should never cry wolf unless you really mean it.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Hello this is Natahsa, and I’m dropping by with a famous fable by Aesop.

Have you ever heard the expression, To Cry Wolf? Do you know what it means? Well even if you do, you should listen to this tale, because it will tell you how it came about.

It’s told by an old man, who remembers the biggest lesson of his life, the one that got him branded for ever more as The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

When I was a lad, my father used to send me out to the fields each day to watch over his sheep. Hey-how, there are worse jobs than sitting out in the fresh air all day, but it was boring work for a lad. I longed to be running around with my friends, playing ball, or making boyish mischief.

“Can’t the sheep look after themselves?” I asked my father. “After all, they know how to bleat and much grass, and there isn’t much else that they do.”

But father said it was important work. And most of importantly of all, I must keep my eyes pealed for the wolf, in case he came sneaking into the fields and grabbed on of the spring lambs.

And so I couldn’t even go to sleep. I had to sit and keep a sharp look-out. And a few weeks of this, I got so bored that began to wish that the wolf would show up and give me something to do.

And then I got thinking to myself. Let’s liven things up a bit, I thought. Let’s play a trick on the villagers. And so I got up an ran as fast as I could into the village shouting at the top of my voice:

“Wolf ! Wolf WOOOOOOOOLF !”

And the villagers grabbed sticks, rolling pins, and pitch-folks and came running up to the field to case away the world.

But when they got there, all was peaceful. The lambs were frolicking as usual, quite unmolested.

And I laughed

“Ha ha Fooled you all ! ”

But none of the villagers laughed with me. Some of them grumbled and and the blacksmith became quite angry and shouted at me. But he was just a bad sport who couldn’t see the funny side of my joke.

And so a week later I did the same thing again, only this time I put on an even better act. I daubed red paint on my arm, and pretended that the wolf had bitten me. This fooled even the blacksmith, who was on his guard after the last trick I had played.

And when they all arrived breathless in the field I again called out

“Ha Ha ! Fooled YOU! ”

And this time quite a few of the villagers were angry with me, and I got quite an ear wigging from the blacksmith, the teacher, and the iron-monger. When I got home, my father was furious and told me that I had a stupid sense of humour. But I thought it was funny. And so did my friends.

About a week after that, I was sitting up on the hill watching my father’s sheep as usual. It was getting on for evening, and the sun was setting behind the forrest. I would have to spend the night out there, and oh, how lonely and bored was I. Then all of a sudden the sheep dogs started to bark and the flock was running around and bleating like they had all gone made. Only they hadn’t. There was a wolf among the sheep and he had seized a lamb.

“Wolf ! Wolf ! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLF !” I called out and I ran into the village to get help.

But nobody came. Not one villager. They carried on doing whatever they were doing. Eating supper, drinking ale, or finishing off their work for the day.

‘But please,” I said to the blacksmith, “This time it’s true. There really is a wolf.”

And he just shrugged his shoulders.

You see nobody believes a liar, even when he’s speaking the truth.

And that’s why you should never cry wolf unless you really mean it.

Stories in this series.

  1. Androcles and the Lion
  2. Four Aesop Fables
  3. Video: The Rat and The Elephant
  4. The Hare and the Tortoise
  5. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
  6. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
  7. The Lioness and Small Respect

73 Comments

  • Azzy
    Posted January 27, 2009 at 4:01 am | Permalink

    i love this story, it also teaches a lesson

  • Azzy
    Posted January 27, 2009 at 3:28 pm | Permalink

    Can you tell more storys from Aesop? This story was great!

  • sharanya
    Posted January 27, 2009 at 4:22 pm | Permalink

    that boy is the biggest liar i ever known or seen

  • adem
    Posted January 28, 2009 at 7:27 pm | Permalink

    many thanks… great lesson but most of the people get in trouble and saying lies can be choice for them…stay in truth to forever…

  • Yeh-Jun
    Posted January 29, 2009 at 12:22 am | Permalink

    Oh twice story?

  • Yeh-Jun
    Posted January 30, 2009 at 11:49 pm | Permalink

    oh, is boy consumption?

  • Tommy and Aimee
    Posted January 31, 2009 at 4:34 am | Permalink

    This story is funny because it tells you that if you lie everytime, nobody will ever believe you again.

  • Annonymus
    Posted February 2, 2009 at 10:30 am | Permalink

    Natasha,the stories you tell are just so nice. Can you put more new stories?

  • Winnie
    Posted February 2, 2009 at 10:32 am | Permalink

    This story is so nice and lovely!

  • Errin
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    i think this is a great story and a lesson for all that should read it its a very good story for children

  • someone
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 11:02 am | Permalink

    The only way i can explain it is fantastic fantastic fantastic

  • annonymus
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    That is one of my favorite stories my teacher read it to me in yr 1 and i still remember it

  • Tess
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 4:07 pm | Permalink

    This is a good story my mother told to me long ago and every time we lied.

  • polly
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 6:22 pm | Permalink

    it was a nice old story.

  • Posted February 5, 2009 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    that is soooo good

  • joolZ
    Posted February 7, 2009 at 12:32 am | Permalink

    ok you rocked when you said WOLF WOLF woooooolf!!

  • lola
    Posted February 7, 2009 at 4:11 am | Permalink

    you peple are good story tellers

  • boroka
    Posted February 11, 2009 at 6:26 am | Permalink

    this is a funny fairytail nice

  • susan
    Posted February 14, 2009 at 6:46 pm | Permalink

    wolf wolf grgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgrggrr

  • Posted February 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm | Permalink

    The sound is very good,but it is very very exciting to read.
    I am korean,so I can’t read it very well. I want to know who read with large sound.

  • ilovestorynory
    Posted February 18, 2009 at 1:48 am | Permalink

    i just love this story!

  • Posted February 25, 2009 at 3:05 am | Permalink

    i got so much of my homwork done with this web site thankyou!!!!!!!!!

  • danny 123
    Posted February 27, 2009 at 6:12 pm | Permalink

    this story wasn’t good at all they made alot of mistakes.

  • louis
    Posted March 12, 2009 at 11:41 am | Permalink

    this is really goooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

  • christalinia
    Posted March 12, 2009 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    dont like

  • Posted March 18, 2009 at 5:57 pm | Permalink

    hi this is the best story THE BOY WHO CRIED WLOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Posted March 22, 2009 at 6:13 pm | Permalink

    My daddy had told me this story before and i thought it is funny!
    I think he fooled itself.

  • Posted March 22, 2009 at 6:22 pm | Permalink

    Um… Mrs. Bertie is the boy a sheperd????

  • Posted March 22, 2009 at 6:55 pm | Permalink

    Hi Dena, yes, he was a shepherd, but not a very good one

  • Hafiza
    Posted March 23, 2009 at 7:20 am | Permalink

    This stories made me improve my English,Oral , creative writting and many more.thank you storynory!!

  • bob
    Posted March 24, 2009 at 5:31 pm | Permalink

    you rock

  • Posted April 1, 2009 at 3:58 pm | Permalink

    fue intresante conocer esta historia, es de mucha introducion al trabajo

  • Posted April 5, 2009 at 2:56 am | Permalink

    Wait, what happened to the lamb?

  • Posted April 30, 2009 at 7:13 pm | Permalink

    WERE , DID THE SHEEP GO

  • chocolate_sunday
    Posted May 1, 2009 at 6:04 pm | Permalink

    I love the voice Natasha used.

  • chocolate_sunday
    Posted May 1, 2009 at 6:07 pm | Permalink

    HOW COULD PAINT LOOK LIKE REAL BLOOD? YOU HAVE TO BE COMPLETLY STUPID TO FALL FOR THAT.

  • Alana & Sabrina
    Posted May 23, 2009 at 5:47 pm | Permalink

    Dad told this story in the car; we are 5 and when we got home, we searched for an audible one and you saved the day.

    We loved it!
    Thank you
    (Mom)

  • Fuma
    Posted May 25, 2009 at 11:29 am | Permalink

    I think joking is bad but sometimes we can have fun joking. p.s Don’t joke to much.

  • Martita
    Posted June 1, 2009 at 1:52 am | Permalink

    This is a funny cute story!

  • Cody
    Posted June 4, 2009 at 5:07 pm | Permalink

    I love this story. I remember reading this when I was in the sixth grade.

  • naruto
    Posted June 29, 2009 at 4:12 pm | Permalink

    hi am you bigest fan

  • Posted July 23, 2009 at 8:26 pm | Permalink

    storynory is the best i listen to there storys all the time

  • Posted July 23, 2009 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    this is the best site ever

  • Sheryl
    Posted July 23, 2009 at 11:50 pm | Permalink

    :) :) :) :)

  • Sheryl
    Posted July 23, 2009 at 11:51 pm | Permalink

    :x :x :x :x :x

  • Minnie
    Posted July 23, 2009 at 11:58 pm | Permalink

    I love this story. It helps me to teach children how wrong it really is to lie. The only thing is I would of loved to here be told by a much younger voice. T

  • Minnie
    Posted July 24, 2009 at 12:02 am | Permalink

    This story is great! It helps kids understand how wrong it is to lie. And what can happen when you do. I think if the person who was reading the story would of made her voice sound like a younger child the story would of been much better. My 3yr.old Daughter was scared to here the way she read the story.

  • rina
    Posted August 7, 2009 at 3:59 am | Permalink

    A wolf A wolf A WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLF!:)

  • Posted August 7, 2009 at 4:05 am | Permalink

    A wolf A wolf A WOOOOOOOOlf:D

  • Posted August 7, 2009 at 4:08 am | Permalink

    WoW! its so funny!

  • megan
    Posted October 28, 2009 at 5:52 pm | Permalink

    i liked it!

  • megan
    Posted October 28, 2009 at 5:53 pm | Permalink

    it shows you not to lie!

  • Jennifer
    Posted November 4, 2009 at 5:07 pm | Permalink

    That was a great story.

  • Posted November 8, 2009 at 2:36 pm | Permalink

    Duble text,Bertie

  • dj
    Posted November 18, 2009 at 1:00 am | Permalink

    cool story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • cristina
    Posted November 25, 2009 at 7:37 am | Permalink

    i love it bec. it tells me to be honest.

  • barb
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 12:49 am | Permalink

    a smaller story to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • henna
    Posted December 6, 2009 at 7:21 pm | Permalink

    good story i told my sister the same thing she done something wrong just like the boy

  • bobi
    Posted January 25, 2010 at 8:22 pm | Permalink

    the story is funny and very good!!!

  • Analisa
    Posted February 3, 2010 at 2:53 pm | Permalink

    This is a weird story so funny

  • Nico
    Posted February 3, 2010 at 2:55 pm | Permalink

    i love this story HAHAHAHAHAHA

  • Analisa
    Posted February 3, 2010 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    this is a weird story

  • Posted February 11, 2010 at 3:50 pm | Permalink

    Too Cool.

  • kasey
    Posted February 13, 2010 at 2:22 pm | Permalink

    fab

  • kasey
    Posted February 13, 2010 at 2:25 pm | Permalink

    ffffffffffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbbbbbb l
    .

  • Anonymous
    Posted February 17, 2010 at 7:47 pm | Permalink

    HI I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Rebecca
    Posted February 28, 2010 at 1:17 am | Permalink

    I loved
    it!!! :) :)

  • Lisa
    Posted March 10, 2010 at 9:30 pm | Permalink

    i lied to my freind in school and had to go to see my head of house and this remainds me of it lol its a good story though love it

  • Posted March 12, 2010 at 6:31 pm | Permalink

    =)

  • maria
    Posted March 14, 2010 at 9:11 pm | Permalink

    he deserved what he got when the viliagers wouldn’t come

  • gaz
    Posted March 15, 2010 at 12:23 pm | Permalink

    it serves people right if they lie

  • gaz
    Posted March 15, 2010 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    its a bit boring

  • jasmine ben loser
    Posted March 15, 2010 at 12:29 pm | Permalink

    i loved the story this is jbl out of wwe,rock and roll!

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