Once upon a time there was a boy who went out to guard the sheep. The villagers had warned him about the dangers of the wolf, about the kinds of things the wolf would do. As he is watching the flock, the moon passes overhead and its reflection in the lake catches his eye.

“Wolf, wolf,” cries the boy. “Wolf!”

The villagers come running and take up positions after making sure the wolf is nowhere to be found.

“Excellent work,” says the mayor. “Your vigilance has saved the village.”

“Attacking in our sleep and then trying to sneak away,” muses the butcher. “This is just the kind of thing I would expect the wolf to do.”

“Are we sure there even was a wolf?” asks the baker.

“Of course there was,” says the mayor. “We wouldn’t have needed to chase it off if it weren’t here.”

“But there’s no evidence of a wolf activity. Perhaps it was something else,” explains the baker.

“You’re only saying this because you’re probably working with the wolf,” accuses the butcher. “Once the flock is gone, you’ll be able to sell more bread. Despicable.”

The villagers cast a few glances at the butcher, but eventually return to their homes.

The sun rises and sets, and for a second night the boy is watching the flock when a tumbleweed is blown across the field.

“Wolf, wolf,” cries the boy. “Wolf!”

The villagers come running and take up positions after making sure the wolf is nowhere to be found.

“Thank goodness,” says the mayor. “You’re a true hero to the village.”

“We still haven’t seen any evidence of the wolf,” says the carpenter, always the level headed type.

“I had my doubts, too,” says the innkeeper. “But this is the second attack, so it’s not coincidence. This is the kind of thing the wolf does.”

“But there wasn’t even a first attack,” says the baker.

“This again?” cries the mayor. “Why are you constantly restarting old fights?”

“I think everyone knows where these questions are coming from,” says the butcher. “Is it even worth it or did you sell us out for cheap?”

The villagers all take a few steps away from the butcher, quietly muttering to themselves.

The sun rises and sets, and for a third night the boy is watching the flock when the wolf approaches him.

“Hello, boy. There’s a matter I’d like to discuss with you. You’ve earned the respect of the entire village. You could summon them now, and that’d be the end of me, but glory fades. How long will they remember your good deeds? Let me slip away with one sheep tonight, and that will only reinforce the need for your presence. Tomorrow night and the night after, you will be able to, ahem, sound the alarm and chase me away before any further damage is done.”