The Cowboy and the Wolf
Question
Write a story (within 100 words) using the given hints. Give a title to the story. [2+8]
[Points : A cowboy tended cows near a forest—raised alarm of a wolf in fun—farmers came to help went back—he repeated the fun—farmers disgusted—wolf really came—cried for help—none came—wolf killed the boy.]
THE COWBOY AND THE WOLF
Once a cowboy lived in a village. He tended his master’s cows near a dark forest. The forest was near the village. He used to go to near the forest to tend his cows. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd’s pipe. One day as he sat watching the cows and the quiet forest, he thought what he would do should he see a wolf. Then he thought of a plan to amuse himself. His master had told him to call for help should a wolf attack the herd of cows, and the villagers would drive it away. So now, though he had not seen anything that even looked like a Wolf, he ran toward the village shouting at the top of his voice, “Wolf! Wolf!” As he expected, the villagers who heard the cry dropped their work and ran in great excitement to the pasture. But when they got there they found the cowboy doubled up with laughter at the trick he had played on them.
A few days later the cowboy again shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” Again the villagers ran to help him, only to be laughed at again. Then one evening as the sun was setting behind the forest and the shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a wolf really did spring from the underbrush and fall upon the cows. In terror the cowboy ran toward the village shouting “Wolf! Wolf!” But though the villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help him as they had before. “He cannot fool us again,” they said. The wolf killed him along with a great many of his cows and then slipped away into the forest.
Moral : Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth. / Once a liar, always a liar. / Nobody believes a liar.
