The Boy Who Fibbed

Once upon a time, there was a very naughty boy living in a village. He often lied and played tricks on people. His mother would repeatedly advise him not to do such things, warning him that lying is wrong and that whatever a person sows, they will eventually reap.

One day, the boy came up with a mischievous idea. Around noon, when everyone was busy with their work, he climbed up a hill and started shouting loudly:

"Lion! Lion! Help me! Help me!"

Hearing his cries, his mother ran out of the house, the tailor left his shop, and the farmers abandoned their fields. They all rushed towards the hill to help the boy. But when they reached him, he burst out laughing and said, "I was just joking!"

His mother scolded him harshly, but he paid no attention. A few days later, he did the same thing again. He climbed the hill and started yelling:

"Lion! Lion! Help me! Help me!"

Once again, people rushed to help him. But when they arrived, the boy was standing there, laughing at them. This time, everyone was very angry. His mother scolded him even more, but he still didn’t take it seriously.

A few days passed, and one day the boy wandered off and climbed the hill again. This time, he saw a real lion. Terrified, he began screaming for help:

"Lion! Lion! Help me! Help me!"

When the villagers heard his screams, no one paid attention. Everyone thought he was playing another trick. Even his mother believed he was lying again and continued with her work.

The boy kept screaming, but no one came to his rescue. Morning turned to afternoon, afternoon turned to evening, and the boy still hadn’t returned home. His mother grew very worried. She gathered the villagers and headed towards the hill.

When they reached the hill, they found the boy’s toys and his blood-stained clothes. That’s when everyone realised that the lion had really come, and the boy had been eaten.

Moral of the Story: The boy who fibbed broke the trust of the people by lying. Once you lose people's trust, no one will believe you, even when you are telling the truth.

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Commentary: The folktale starts with Pyaray Bacho, Humara Tumhara Allah Badshah - it is common to start folktales, fables in particular, by mentioning Allah, just like saying Bismillah before beginning to do just about anything.

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Source: Recorded as a part of Clicks and Culture, our collaboration with Beaconhouse School System.