Le Garçon qui criait au loup

Il y avait un jeune garçon qui gardait les moutons.

Dearest Gentle Reader,

Le garçon s'ennuyait.

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.

Il voulait s'amuser.

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.

Loup !

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

« Au loup ! » cria-t-il très fort.

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

« Un loup vient manger les moutons ! » Les gens du village l'entendirent.

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

Mais il n'y avait pas de loup.

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

Loup !

"Wolf!

« Je ne faisais que jouer », dit-il.

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

Il n'y a pas de loup.

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

Ils retournèrent en ville à pied.

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."

Il cria : « Au loup !

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

Aidez-moi !

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

Le loup est là ! » De nouveau, les gens coururent en haut de la colline pour l'aider.

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

Encore une fois, il n'y avait pas de loup.

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

« Tu n'es pas drôle », dirent les gens.

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

Ils étaient maintenant très en colère.

For a third time, he shouted, "Wolf!

Une semaine plus tard, un vrai loup arriva.

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

Le loup était grand et affamé.

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

Loup !

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

« Au loup ! » cria le garçon.

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

"Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît !

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

Le loup est vraiment là ! » Mais personne ne vint.

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

« Il ment encore », dirent-ils.

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

« Nous n'irons pas. » Le loup mangea beaucoup de moutons.

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

Le garçon pleura, mais il était trop tard.

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

Le jeune berger a appris une leçon importante.

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

Personne ne croit un menteur.

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

Même quand il dit la vérité.

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.