The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s short, clear, and moral. For bedtime, it’s best read gently and followed by reassurance: mistakes teach us, and trust can be rebuilt with truth over time.

Story Synopsis

A young shepherd is bored watching his sheep all day. To entertain himself, he runs to the village shouting that a wolf is attacking his flock. The villagers race to help—only to find no wolf. The boy laughs at their frustration. He repeats the trick again. The villagers come, angry and embarrassed, and warn him not to lie. But the boy enjoys the power of making everyone run. Then, one day, a real wolf appears. The sheep panic. The boy shouts for help with all his strength—but this time, the villagers think it’s another joke. No one comes. The boy is left alone with the consequences of his own dishonesty. The fable ends with a simple truth: when you lie often, even true words lose their power. Trust is something you build slowly and can lose quickly. The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a bedtime-friendly lesson for school-age children: honesty keeps you safe because it keeps your words reliable.

Story Excerpt

A shepherd boy watched over his master’s sheep in a wide, grassy pasture. Not far away stood a dark forest, quiet and thick with trees. The village was close enough that he could see the rooftops if he climbed a small rise, but out in the field the hours moved slowly. To pass the time, the boy talked to his dog, who trotted at his heels and listened with bright eyes. Sometimes the boy lifted his shepherd’s pipe and played a little tune. The sheep would keep nibbling grass, and the forest would keep its secrets. But after many long afternoons, the boy began to feel restless. “ It’s so dull out here, ” he sighed, sitting on a warm rock. He watched the sheep spread like soft, moving clouds across the pasture. He looked toward the shadowy trees and thought about what his master had told him. “ If a wolf comes, ” his master had said, “ you must call for help right away. Shout, and the villagers will run to drive it off. ” The boy imagined it : people dropping their tools, hurrying up the path, coming to the field like a small storm of footsteps. The thought made him sit up straighter. And then, as he stared at the quiet forest, an idea popped into his mind — an idea…

In One Glance