To tell a lie is to purposely say something that is not true because you want to make other people believe it. If you’re a child who likes to tell lies even when you’re joking, the story below will teach you why you should always tell the truth. Personally I used to lie to people, but this story taught me a lot.

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd boy whose daily job was look after a flock of sheep. One day, he felt bored and decided to play a trick on the villagers. He shouted, "Help! Wolf! Wolf!”

The villagers heard his cries and rushed out to help him. When they reached him, they asked, "Where is the wolf?” The shepherd boy laughed loudly, "Ha, Ha, Ha! I fooled all of you.

"I was only playing a trick on you,” he said

A few days later, the shepherd boy played this trick again.

 Again he cried, "Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!” Again, the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and again they found that he had tricked them. They were very angry with him for being so naughty.

 Then, sometime later, a wolf attacked one sheep, and then another and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the village shouting, "Help! Help! Wolf! Somebody Help!”

The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they thought it was another trick. The boy ran to the nearest villager and said, "A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is true!” the boy cried out.

Finally, the villagers went to take a look. It was true. They could see the wolf running away and many dead sheep lying on the grass.

Moral of the story: People tend not to believe someone who often tell lies, even when he he/she is telling the truth. The story gives us a good example of how dangerous it is to tell lies all the time.

The writer is a pupil at GS Gatenga in Primary Five