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.