Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Aesop’s Fables

A wolf! - Adapted fable from “The boy who cried wolf”

(Aesop’s Fables)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese ・ English ・ Korean ・ French

Japanese & English ・ Japanese & Korean ・ Japanese & French

　There was a shepherded-boy in a village.

　Day after day, all he had to do was to look after his sheep.

　He was so tired of it and felt like teasing the other.

　Suddenly the shepherded-boy cried out,

“A wolf! There’s a wolf!”

　The villagers heard him and rushed over to him.

　And the shepherded-boy gave a big laugh at them.


　A few days later, shepherded-boy cried out again,

“A wolf! There’s a wolf!”

　Once again the villagers heard him and rushed over to him.

　The shepherded-boy got a good laugh out of them.

　But one day, a wolf really came and attacked the boy’s sheep.

　The shepherded-boy was in fevered haste, cried out for a help,

“A wolf! Wolf! I mean it!”

　But this time no one came for a help.

　No one believed the shepherded-boy telling the truth.

　Poor boy, his sheep had all eaten by the wolf.


　Nobody believes a liar even when telling the truth.

The end

(Click here to return)