The Boy Who Cried Wolf

HSK 3 · 129 characters · Idioms for Beginners

A boy lies about a wolf twice — then the wolf really comes.

从前cóng qián，有个yǒu gè孩子hái zi在zài山上shān shàng放羊fàng yáng。Long ago, a boy watched sheep on a mountain.

他tā大叫dà jiào：“狼láng来了lái le！狼láng来了lái le！”He shouted, "The wolf is coming! The wolf is coming!"山下shān xià的de人们rén men跑pǎo上来shàng lái帮bāng他tā。The people below ran up to help him.

孩子hái zi笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“没有méi yǒu狼láng，我wǒ玩儿wánr呢ne！”The boy laughed and said, "There's no wolf — I'm just playing!"

第二天dì èr tiān，他tā又yòu叫jiào：“狼láng来了lái le！”The next day, he shouted again, "The wolf is coming!"人们rén men又yòu跑pǎo上来shàng lái，还是hái shi没有méi yǒu狼láng。The people ran up again, and there was still no wolf.

第三天dì sān tiān，狼láng真的zhēn de来了lái le。On the third day, the wolf really came.孩子hái zi大叫dà jiào，可是kě shì没有méi yǒu人rén来lái。The boy shouted, but no one came.

大家dà jiā说shuō：“他tā又yòu在zài说谎shuō huǎng吧ba。”Everyone said, "He must be lying again."狼láng吃chī了le很多hěn duō羊yáng。The wolf ate many sheep.

这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ是shì“狼láng来了lái le”。This saying is "the wolf is coming."意思yì si是shì：说谎shuō huǎng的de人rén，说shuō真zhēn话huà也yě没人méi rén信xìn。It means: when a liar tells the truth, no one believes him.例句lì jù：不要bù yào总zǒng说谎shuō huǎng，小心xiǎo xīn“狼láng来了lái le”。Example: Don't lie all the time — watch out, or no one will believe you when the wolf really comes.