The Boy Who Cried "Lion!"

A young Fulani boy was tasked with watching the village cattle as they grazed. He found the work boring. To create some excitement, he ran back to the village shouting, "Lion! Lion! A lion is attacking the herd!" The men of the village grabbed their spears and rushed to the pasture, only to find the boy laughing at them. He had made it all up. He did this again a few days later, and again the men came running, only to be fooled. One afternoon, a real Lion emerged from the bush and began to attack the cattle. The boy, terrified, ran to the village, shouting "Lion! Lion! Please, help! It is real this time!" But the men, having been tricked twice before, shook their heads and went about their business, ignoring his cries. The Lion killed many of the boy's cattle before wandering off. The boy learned a hard lesson that day: when a liar tells the truth, no one believes him.