This page features a video of the poem “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf”, prescribed under the Karnataka State Syllabus for 8th Standard English Third Language. Along with its summary in three languages and transliterated songs. It serves as a valuable learning resource for students and parents, with each song accompanied by its respective lyrics for easy sing-along. The synchronized lyrics help learners follow and recite the song as it progresses, making memorization and learning by heart easier, more effective, and enjoyable.
Lyrics
English
A Shepherd-boy beside a stream
“The wolf, the wolf ,” used to scream
And when the villagers appeared,
He’d laugh and call them silly eared.
A wolf at last came down the steep
“The wolf, the wolf, my legs, my sheep”
The wolf, had a jolly feast,
Quite undisturbed, on boy and beast
For none believes a liar
Even when the liar speaks the truth.
“The wolf, the wolf ,” used to scream
And when the villagers appeared,
He’d laugh and call them silly eared.
A wolf at last came down the steep
“The wolf, the wolf, my legs, my sheep”
The wolf, had a jolly feast,
Quite undisturbed, on boy and beast
For none believes a liar
Even when the liar speaks the truth.
Summary
The poem tells the story of a shepherd boy who repeatedly lies that a wolf is coming. Whenever the villagers rush to help him, he laughs at them for believing him. Because he lies again and again, the villagers stop trusting his warnings. One day a real wolf comes and attacks the sheep. The boy cries for help, but nobody believes him this time. The story teaches that a person who lies repeatedly may not be believed even when he finally tells the truth.
Author