THE SHEPHERD’S BOY AND THE WOLF.
A Shepherd’s Boy, while attending his flock, used frequently to divert himself by crying out, “the Wolf! the Wolf!” The Husbandmen in the adjoining grounds, thus alarmed, left their work and ran to his assistance, but finding that he was only sporting with their feelings, and bantering them, they resolved at last to take no notice of his alarms. It was not long, however, before the Wolf really came, and the Boy bawled out “the Wolf! the Wolf!” as he had done before; but the men having been so often deceived, paid no attention to his cries, and the sheep were devoured without mercy.