The Boy Who Cried Lion – A Moral Story About Honesty and Trust

 The Shepherd's Folly: A Village Tale


Once upon a time, there was a small village near green hills and open fields. The villagers lived simple lives. They grew crops, kept animals, and helped one another in times of need. Among them lived a young boy whose job was to look after the village sheep. Every morning, he took the sheep up the hillside so they could eat fresh grass, and every evening he brought them safely back to the village.

At first, the boy enjoyed his work. He liked the fresh air, the sound of birds, and the peaceful view of the village below. But after many days, he began to feel bored and lonely. There was no one to talk to on the hill, and watching sheep all day felt slow and dull.

“This work is so boring,” the boy said to himself one afternoon. “Nothing ever happens here.”

As he sat on a rock, looking down at the village, a naughty idea came into his mind. He smiled and thought, What if I play a trick on the villagers? He stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly,

“Lion! Lion! A lion is chasing the sheep!”

Hearing the boy’s cry, the villagers dropped whatever they were doing. Farmers left their fields, shopkeepers ran out of their shops, and women rushed from their homes. Everyone grabbed sticks and tools and ran up the hill to save the sheep.

“Where is the lion?” one villager asked as they reached the top.

They looked around carefully, but there was no lion anywhere. The sheep were calmly eating grass, and the boy was laughing.

“There is no lion!” another villager said angrily.

The boy laughed even louder and said, “I was just joking. You should have seen your faces!”

The villagers were not amused. One of them warned the boy, “Don’t cry ‘lion’ when there is no danger. You scared everyone for no reason.”

“Yes,” another villager added, “this is not funny. We came to help you.”

Ashamed and angry, the villagers went back down the hill. The boy watched them and smiled to himself, thinking his trick was clever.

A few hours later, the boy felt bored again. Remembering how fast the villagers had run earlier, he decided to repeat the trick. Once more, he shouted loudly,

“Lion! Lion! Help! The lion is attacking the sheep!”

Once again, the villagers rushed up the hill, breathing hard and ready to fight the lion. But when they arrived, they saw the same thing as before—no lion, no danger, only the boy laughing.

“This is enough!” one villager said firmly.
“You are lying again,” said another.
“Only cry for help when there is real danger,” said an old woman.

The boy just grinned and said nothing. The villagers shook their heads and walked away, feeling angry and disappointed.

As the sun began to set, the sky turned orange and red. The boy was still watching the sheep when suddenly he noticed movement in the bushes nearby. His heart started to beat fast. Slowly, a real lion stepped out. Its eyes were sharp, and it moved quietly toward the sheep.

The boy was terrified. His face turned pale, and his hands began to shake.

“This time it’s real,” he whispered in fear.

He jumped to his feet and screamed as loudly as he could,
“Lion! Lion! Please help! There is a real lion here!”

The lion growled and moved closer. The sheep ran in different directions, crying loudly.

Down in the village, the people heard the boy’s voice. But they did not react.

“He is lying again,” one villager said.
“Yes, he just wants to fool us,” said another.
“We won’t go this time,” said a third.

So no one came to help.

The lion attacked the sheep and scared them away. Some ran into the forest, and others were lost. The boy climbed onto a rock and cried helplessly as the lion disappeared into the hills.

When night came and the boy did not return with the sheep, the villagers became worried. They walked up the hill with lanterns and found the boy sitting alone, crying.

“There really was a lion,” the boy said through tears.
“I shouted for help, but no one came. The sheep are gone.”

An old man stepped forward and gently put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. He spoke kindly but firmly,

“My child, this happened because you did not tell the truth before. When you lied, people lost trust in your words.”

The boy lowered his head in shame.

The old man continued,
“Nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth.”

The boy learned a hard lesson that day. From that moment on, he promised never to lie again and always speak the truth.

THE END

Moral of the Story:

Always tell the truth. Lies may seem fun at first, but they destroy trust, and when real help is needed, no one will believe you.


Comprehension Questions

  1. Question: Who was the main character of the story?
    Answer: The main character was a young shepherd boy who looked after the village sheep.

  2. Question: What did the boy do when he got bored?
    Answer: He shouted “lion! lion!” to trick the villagers and make them come running.

  3. Question: How did the villagers react the first two times the boy cried “lion”?
    Answer: They ran up the hill to save the sheep but found there was no lion. They were angry at the boy for lying.

  4. Question: What happened when a real lion appeared?
    Answer: The boy cried for help, but the villagers did not believe him, so no one came to help, and the lion scared away the sheep.

  5. Question: What lesson did the boy learn at the end of the story?
    Answer: He learned that lying destroys trust, and nobody believes a liar, even when they are telling the truth.

Thinking Questions

  1. Question: Why did the villagers stop believing the boy?
    Answer: Because he lied too many times before, so they thought he was joking again.

  2. Question: What could the boy have done differently?
    Answer: He could have told the truth and only called for help when there was real danger.

  3. Question: How would you feel if you were one of the villagers?
    Answer: Answers may vary: “I would feel angry and disappointed because the boy tricked us.”

  4. Question: Can you think of a time when someone lied and it caused trouble?
    Answer: (Open-ended, encourages children to relate the moral to their own life.)

Moral / Life Lesson Questions

  1. Question: Why is it important to tell the truth?
    Answer: Because honesty builds trust, and people will believe you when you really need help.

  2. Question: What can happen if you lie too many times?
    Answer: People will stop trusting you, and you might get into trouble when you tell the truth.

  3. Question: What would you do if you saw a real lion or danger?
    Answer: I would call for help honestly and make sure others know it is real.



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