Once there was a boy who lived in a small town. His job was to watch sheep on a hill. The boy had freckles and messy brown hair. He wore a blue shirt and brown sandals. Every day he sat on the hill with the sheep. It was very boring. "I wish something fun would happen," said the boy with a sigh. He looked down at the town. He could see the tall farmer in his red shirt. The nice baker lady was in her yellow dress. The strong blacksmith worked at his shop. The boy felt very lonely up on the hill. He wanted the people to come visit him. Then he had an idea. He could yell "Wolf!" and the town people would come running!
The boy stood up tall and took a deep breath. "WOLF! WOLF!" he yelled as loud as he could. "Help! There's a wolf!" The people in town heard his cries. The tall farmer dropped his tools. The baker left her bread. The blacksmith put down his hammer. They all ran up the hill as fast as they could. They had sticks and rakes to help fight the wolf. When they got to the top of the hill, they looked around. There was no wolf. The sheep were all fine. The boy started to laugh. "Got you!" he said with a big smile. The villagers did not smile back. They looked mad. "That was not nice," said the baker, shaking her head. "We left our work to help you," said the farmer with a frown. "Do not cry wolf unless there really is one," said the blacksmith. They walked back down the hill. The boy was alone again. The boy kicked a small rock. It had been fun to see everyone run up the hill. But now they were mad at him. As the sun started to set, he saw something move in the trees.
The boy walked closer to the trees. His heart beat fast. Two amber eyes glowed in the shadows. Dark paws stepped out into the light. It was a real wolf! The gray wolf was big, with sharp teeth. The wolf growled. The sheep started to run around, making scared sounds. The boy's hands shook. This time there really was a wolf! He needed help. But would anyone believe him now?
The boy knew he had to try. He took a deep breath and yelled as loud as he could. "WOLF! WOLF! Please help! There really is a wolf this time!" But no one came. The villagers thought it was another trick. The boy looked at the wolf. He knew he had to be brave. He picked up his shepherd's staff and stood tall. "Go away!" he shouted at the wolf, waving his staff. The wolf took a step back, surprised by the boy's courage. Just then, the baker looked out her window. She saw the real wolf in the fading sunlight. "Look!" she called to the others. "There really is a wolf this time!" The villagers ran up the hill. The farmer brought his rake, the blacksmith had his hammer, and the baker carried her rolling pin. Together, they scared the wolf away. It ran back into the dark forest. The sheep were safe. The boy's heart was still beating fast. "I'm sorry I lied before," said the boy to the villagers. "I won't do it again." The baker gave him a warm smile and a pat on the shoulder. "We all make mistakes," said the farmer kindly. "The important thing is that you learned from it." From that day on, the boy always told the truth. And he was never lonely on the hill again, because he knew the villagers were his true friends. The End
