Хлопчик, який кричав «Вовк!»

Жив собі юний хлопчик, який доглядав овець.

Dearest Gentle Reader,

Хлопчикові було нудно.

In the quaint village of Meadowgrove, where the whispers of the wind carry tales as swiftly as any society paper, there resided a young boy named Timothy.

Йому хотілося розваг.

Now, Timothy was not your ordinary lad; he possessed a spirit as lively as the ton's most scandalous gossip and an imagination that rivaled the most fanciful of debutantes.

«Вовк!

Timothy, you see, was entrusted with the rather mundane task of tending to the village's sheep.

Вовк!» — гучно закричав він.

A duty, one might say, that did not quite match his flair for the dramatic.

«Вовк іде, щоб з'їсти овець!» Люди в селі почули його.

And so, our dear Timothy found himself in a predicament—how to entertain oneself whilst watching over a flock of rather uninteresting sheep?

Але вовка там не було.

One sunny afternoon, as the villagers went about their daily affairs, a most alarming cry echoed through the meadows.

«Вовк!

"Wolf!

«Я лише жартував», — сказав він.

Wolf!" Timothy shouted, his voice filled with a terror that would make even the sturdiest of hearts flutter.

«Ніякого вовка немає.»

The villagers, ever the dutiful neighbors, dropped their tasks and rushed to his aid, armed with pitchforks and brooms.

Вони пішки повернулися в село.

Alas, upon arriving at the scene, they found no wolf, but rather a grinning Timothy, quite pleased with his little ruse.

Forgive me," he said with a chuckle, "I merely sought to liven up the day.

"Forgive me," he said with a chuckle, "I merely sought to liven up the day."

Він вигукнув: «Вовк!

The villagers, though slightly miffed, returned to their duties, shaking their heads at the boy's antics.

Допоможіть мені!

Days turned into weeks, and Timothy, finding the thrill of his first deception too tempting to resist, cried "Wolf!" once more.

Вовк тут!» Знову люди побігли на пагорб допомагати.

Again, the villagers hurried to his side, only to find the mischievous lad laughing at their expense.

Знову вовка не було.

This time, their annoyance was palpable, and they warned him sternly against such foolishness.

«Це не смішно», — сказали люди.

But Timothy, it seems, was not one to heed warnings.

Тепер вони були дуже злі.

For a third time, he shouted, "Wolf!

За тиждень прийшов справжній вовк.

Wolf!" Yet, this time, the villagers, weary of his tricks, paid him no mind.

Вовк був великий і голодний.

They continued with their chores, dismissing his cries as yet another attempt to stir excitement.

«Вовк!

Little did they know, this time, Timothy's cries were genuine.

Вовк!» — заплакав хлопчик.

A wolf, fierce and hungry, had indeed appeared, its eyes fixed on the helpless sheep.

«Будь ласка, допоможіть мені!

Timothy, now truly frightened, called out in earnest, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Вовк справді тут!» Але ніхто не прийшов.

The villagers, having been fooled twice before, saw no reason to believe him now.

«Він знову бреше», — сказали вони.

And so, dear reader, the wolf feasted on the poor sheep, leaving Timothy to face the consequences of his deceit.

«Ми не підемо.» Вовк з'їв багато овець.

The villagers, upon realizing their mistake, were filled with regret, but it was too late.

Хлопчик плакав, але було надто пізно.

The damage had been done, and Timothy's credibility lay in tatters, much like the remnants of the sheep's wool.

Пастушок вивчив важливий урок.

Thus, we are reminded, dear gentle reader, that honesty is the cornerstone of trust.

Ніхто не вірить брехуну.

For once lost, it is a treasure most difficult to regain.

Навіть коли він каже правду.

Let Timothy's tale serve as a cautionary reminder that crying "Wolf!" when there is none may leave you quite alone when the real danger strikes.