FAWN. A man is near! I hear him running!

STAG. I cannot free myself!

FAWN. Ah, if you only had no horns!

STAG. Or if they were only not so strong and not so grand!

FAWN. Your feet could save you then, dear father.

STAG. Go, child, and let your feet save you.

FAWN. I cannot bear to leave you, father!

STAG. Go save yourself! Go, go!

[_The faun goes. The_ HUNTER _enters._]

HUNTER. Aha! I have you now!

THE SHEPHERD BOY WHO CALLED WOLF

SCENE I

TIME: _middle of the afternoon._
PLACE: _a hillside near the village._

* * * * *

SHEPHERD BOY.
MASTER.
PASTOR.
MERCHANT.
BAKER.
BUTCHER.

* * * * *

[_The_ SHEPHERD BOY _watches a flock of sheep._]

BOY. I am tired of watching sheep! I will play a joke on some one! I
will play a joke on every one!

(_He calls in a loud voice._)

Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!

[_Enter the_ VILLAGERS _with clubs._]

MASTER. Where is the Wolf?

BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf!

PASTOR. I do not like to leave my church!

[Illustration]

MERCHANT. I do not like to leave my store!

BAKER. I do not like to leave my dough!

BUTCHER. I do not like to leave my ox!

BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf! Ha, ha, ha!

MASTER. You must not play that joke again! Do you hear? You must never
play that joke again!

SCENE II

TIME: _a week later._
PLACE: _same as in Scene I._

* * * * *

BOY.
VILLAGERS.

* * * * *

[_The_ BOY _watches his sheep._]

BOY. I will play that joke again. I like to see them come running.

(_He calls in a loud voice._)

Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!

[_The_ VILLAGERS _come with clubs._]

MASTER. Where is the wolf?

BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf!

PASTOR. I do not like to leave my church!

MERCHANT. I do not like to leave my store!

BAKER. I do not like to leave my dough!

BUTCHER. I do not like to leave my ox!

BOY. Ha, ha, ha! There is no wolf! Ha, ha, ha!

MASTER. Boy, boy, you must not joke about a wolf! Do you hear? You must
never joke about a wolf!

SCENE III

TIME: _a week later._
PLACE: _same as Scene II._

* * * * *

BOY.

* * * * *

[_The_ BOY _watches the sheep. A wolf comes and begins to kill the
sheep._]

BOY. Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!

(_No one comes or answers._)

Master! Pastor! Merchant! Baker! Butc