Once there was a playful boy named Benny who lived in a small, cozy village surrounded by green hills and fluffy clouds. Benny had one important job: he was in charge of watching the village’s sheep as they grazed in the meadows. But Benny loved jokes more than anything—especially the kind that made everyone run around in a silly panic!

One sunny morning, Benny sat under a tree, feeling bored. The sheep were munching lazily on grass, and nothing exciting was happening. Benny’s brown eyes sparkled as he thought, "I’ll play a trick!" Standing up, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Wolf! Wolf! There’s a wolf chasing the sheep!"

The villagers heard Benny’s cries and dropped everything—baskets, tools, and even a plate of cookies—to rush to the meadow. When they arrived, panting and worried, they saw... nothing. No wolf. Just Benny rolling on the ground, laughing. "Gotcha!" he giggled, pointing at their confused faces.

The villagers shook their heads, smiled politely, and went back to their chores. "That Benny," they muttered. "Such a silly boy!"

A few days later, Benny was bored again. The sheep were being their usual quiet selves, so Benny decided it was time for another prank. "Wolf! Wolf! Someone help!" he yelled, waving his arms wildly. Once again, the villagers came running, their faces full of worry. But when they got to the meadow, the wolf was nowhere to be found. Benny was laughing so hard, he had tears in his eyes. "You believed me AGAIN?" he chuckled.

This time, the villagers didn’t smile. Some frowned, and others looked annoyed. "Benny," said one woman, shaking her finger, "if you keep joking like this, no one will believe you when something real happens." But Benny shrugged. "It’s just a joke," he said. "What could go wrong?"

One afternoon, while Benny was lying in the grass and watching the clouds, he heard a strange sound—low growling and snapping. He sat up quickly and saw huge, sharp teeth and a bushy tail. A real wolf! It was creeping closer and closer to the sheep, licking its chops. Benny’s heart thudded in his chest. He didn’t have time to think; he jumped up and yelled as loud as he could, "Wolf! Wolf! Help! There’s really a wolf this time!"

But no one came. Benny called again and again, "Wolf! It’s true! Come quick!" The villagers, busy with their chores, just shook their heads. "That Benny," they said. "Always making up stories."

The wolf chased the sheep all over the field. Benny tried his best to shoo it away, waving his arms and shouting, but the wolf was too big and too fast. By the time the villagers finally wandered over to see what was going on, the wolf had disappeared into the forest, and some of the sheep were gone, too.

Benny sat in the grass, feeling small and sad. "I should’ve listened," he mumbled. The villagers looked at him kindly, though some shook their heads in disappointment. "Benny," said the woman who had warned him before, "you see now why it’s important to tell the truth. A joke isn’t funny when it hurts others."

From that day on, Benny decided to save his silly jokes for times when they wouldn’t cause trouble. And whenever he called for help, the villagers always listened—because Benny had learned the value of being trustworthy.

Always tell the truth, even if it’s tempting to play tricks.