Aesop
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Greece

The Herdsman and The Lost Bull

A farmer's bull goes missing, leading him to make a promise to the Guardians of the forest, only to discover the thief was a lion.
Caution
Wisdom
Responsibility
Aesop's Fables - The Herdsman and The Lost Bull
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, a herdsman was looking after his animals in the woods. Among them was a baby bull that he adored. One day, he noticed that his baby bull was gone. The herdsman looked everywhere, but the little bull was nowhere to be found.

Feeling desperate, the herdsman made a promise. He said, "If I can find out who took my baby bull, I'll give a young lamb as a gift to the Guardians of the forest." He believed they would help him find the thief.

Some days later, the herdsman climbed a little hill. He froze in shock when he saw a lion at the bottom of the hill. The lion was eating his missing baby bull. The herdsman was so scared that he looked up to the sky and raised his hands.

He said, "I promised to give a lamb to the Guardians of the forest if I found the thief. Now that I know it's a lion, I'd happily give a full-sized bull along with my lost baby bull if only I could get away from the lion safely."

And so, the herdsman learned that sometimes finding out the truth can be scarier than not knowing. His promise to the Guardians became a bigger deal when he realized the thief was a lion.

Once upon a super fun time, in a forest full of trees and, well, more trees, there was a herdsman. He was hanging out with his animal buddies like they were at a furry playground. His favorite? A baby bull with super-duper cute eyelashes. "You're my little moo-moo star!" he always said to the baby bull.

But one sunny day, the herdsman looked around and said, "Hold on, where's my cute little moo-moo?" He looked up in the trees and down in the holes. He even peeked behind a funny-looking bush. Nothing. His little star was gone!

Feeling kinda sad, the herdsman thought, "Hmm, maybe I can make a deal." He looked up at the sky and said, "Hey, Forest Guardians! If you help me find out who took my little moo-moo, I'll give you a baby sheep as a present! How about it?"

A few days later, the herdsman was walking up a small hill, just because. And what did he see at the bottom? A lion! And guess what? The lion was having lunch, and the lunch was—oh no—his baby bull!

"Wow! A lion? Here? Eating my moo-moo? This is bonkers!" he said, sounding kinda like a funny comedian. Then he remembered his deal with the Forest Guardians. He looked up and said, "So, uh, about that baby sheep deal... What if I make it even better and give you another big bull, too? But first, can I please, pretty please, run away from this lion?"

And that's how our herdsman found out that sometimes, knowing the truth can be a real mind-boggler. And that deal with the Forest Guardians? Well, let's just say, he realized he had to up his game!

Deep in the woods where the trees stood tall,
A herdsman watched over creatures, big and small.
His favorite among them, a baby bull so dear,
But one day, to his horror, it seemed to disappear.

He searched high and low, with a heavy sigh,
“Where could you be? Oh where? Oh my!”
In his despair, a promise he did declare,
“To the Guardians of green, if you help, a lamb I'll spare!”

One bright morning, atop a hill so slight,
A fearsome sight gave the herdsman a fright.
Down below, a lion with a meal so grim,
His beloved baby bull, it was indeed him.

He raised his hands to the skies so blue,
“Guardians, my offer, I’ll surely renew.
Not just a lamb, but a big bull too,
If from this lion, away I flew.”

And so our herdsman learned a lesson that day,
That truth can sometimes make us wish we'd stayed away.
For knowing who took his bull, a truth so unkind,
Was scarier than the mystery that he had left behind.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the herdsman made a promise to the Guardians of the forest?
  2. How do you think the herdsman felt when he discovered that a lion had taken his baby bull?
  3. Can you remember a time when finding out the truth about something was more difficult than not knowing?
  4. What lesson do you think the herdsman learned from this experience?
  5. How can we apply the herdsman's experience in our own lives when we're faced with unexpected or difficult truths?

Fable Quotes

Beware, for the truth discovered might be scarier than the unknown.
The wise understand that the search for truth has its risks.
Responsibility isn't only about making promises, but about facing the results.
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