THE SHEPHERD BOY WHO CALLED WOLF
SCENE I
TIME: middle of the afternoon.
PLACE: a hillside near the village.
SHEPHERD BOY.
MASTER.
PASTOR.
MERCHANT.
BAKER.
BUTCHER.
[The SHEPHERD BOY watches a flock of sheep.]
BOY. I am tired of watching sheep! I will play a joke on some one! I will play a joke on every one!
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(He calls in a loud voice.) Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! [Enter the VILLAGERS with clubs.] MASTER. Where is the Wolf? BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf! PASTOR. I do not like to leave my church! MERCHANT. I do not like to leave my store! BAKER. I do not like to leave my dough! BUTCHER. I do not like to leave my ox! BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf! Ha, ha, ha! MASTER. You must not play that joke again! |  |
SCENE II
TIME: a week later.
PLACE: same as in Scene I.
BOY.
VILLAGERS.
[The BOY watches his sheep.]
BOY. I will play that joke again. I like to see them come running.
(He calls in a loud voice.)
Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
[The VILLAGERS come with clubs.]
MASTER. Where is the wolf?
BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf!
PASTOR. I do not like to leave my church!
MERCHANT. I do not like to leave my store!
BAKER. I do not like to leave my dough!
BUTCHER. I do not like to leave my ox!
BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf! Ha, ha, ha!
MASTER. Boy, boy, you must not joke about a wolf! Do you hear? You must never joke about a wolf!
SCENE III
TIME: a week later.
PLACE: same as Scene II.
BOY.
[The BOY watches the sheep. A wolf comes and begins to kill the sheep.]
BOY. Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
(No one comes or answers.)
Master! Pastor! Merchant! Baker! Butcher! Come! Come! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
(No one comes or answers.)
What shall I do? They think I am playing a joke again. What shall I do? I cannot save my sheep! I must run to save myself!