In a green valley surrounded by gentle hills, a young boy named Lior tended a small flock of sheep.
His family had cared for sheep for generations.
Every morning, Lior led them to the pasture.
He carried a wooden staff, worn smooth by use.
He watched over the sheep as they grazed.
But Lior was restless.
The days were long.
And the hills were quiet.
No one passed by for hours.
The boy grew bored.
He wanted excitement.
He wanted attention.
One bright morning, he ran to the village shouting.
“Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking the sheep!”
Villagers dropped their baskets and tools.
They grabbed sticks and ran toward the pasture.
But when they arrived, there was no wolf.
The sheep grazed peacefully.
The villagers frowned.
“Lior,” one said, “do not cry wolf if there is none.”
Lior laughed.
“I just wanted to see you run,” he said.
The villagers shook their heads and returned to their work.
Lior felt a spark of amusement.
The next day, he tried it again.
“Wolf! Wolf!” he shouted.
The villagers ran.
Again, there was nothing.
Lior laughed louder this time.
The sheep continued grazing, unaware of the mischief around them.
Weeks passed, and Lior’s false alarms became a routine.
The villagers’ sighs grew heavier.
But Lior found entertainment in their worry.
One afternoon, the sky darkened.
Clouds gathered, heavy and gray.
A real wolf appeared at the edge of the pasture.
Its fur was bristly.
Its eyes are sharp and hungry.
It crept silently toward the flock.
Lior’s heart raced.
He grabbed his staff and ran to the village.
“Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is here!” he cried.
But the villagers hesitated.
They looked at each other.
They remembered the false alarms.
They said nothing.
Lior ran faster.
“Please! The wolf is real!” he shouted.
By the time the villagers reached the pasture, it was almost too late.
The wolf had frightened several sheep into running.
Some had minor injuries.
Lior tried to protect them.
But he knew the blame was his own.
He had broken their trust.
The villagers helped chase the wolf away.
Then they spoke to Lior quietly.
“Your words have weight,” they said.
“False alarms make it hard for others to believe when danger is real.”
Lior hung his head.
He felt a heavy weight on his chest.
That night, he sat alone among the sheep.
The stars reflected in his eyes.
He realized that honesty was stronger than attention.
That trust, once broken, takes time to repair.
The next morning, Lior tended the flock with care.
He spoke only when needed.
He watched quietly.
He learned the rhythm of the hills.
He learned to anticipate trouble.
Days passed.
A fox approached the flock.
Lior spotted it immediately.
He shouted, “Wolf!” this time with urgency.
Villagers arrived quickly.
The fox fled.
No harm was done.
The villagers smiled.
They trusted his warning.
And Lior felt the relief of honesty.
He understood that words are like seeds.
They grow into action.
If sown carelessly, they can bring nothing but regret.
If sown wisely, they protect and guide.
The sheep grazed safely.
Lior tended them patiently.
He warned only when danger appeared.
The villagers respected his voice.
His family praised his maturity.
Seasons changed.
Spring flowers bloomed.
Summer sun warmed the valley.
Lior grew taller.
His care for the flock deepened.
He shared his lesson with younger children.
“Never cry wolf without reason,” he said.
“Your words carry weight far beyond your own eyes.”
The children listened.
And they remembered.
Years later, Lior still tended the hills.
But he never shouted falsely again.
His trust with the villagers remained unbroken.
His sheep were safe.
And he learned that honesty is not just truth, but respect for others.
Even when attention seems tempting.
Even when boredom presses heavily.
Because a word, once spoken, cannot always be taken back.
And trust, once lost, may take a lifetime to regain.
The hills remained green.
The river whispered through the valley.
The sheep grazed quietly.
And Lior walked among them, older, wiser, and careful with every word he spoke.
He understood that courage is not in tricks or cries.
Courage is in truth.
And in tending life with care, day after day.