The men heard his cry. but as they did not believe the wolves were
really there, they remained in their beds. One man alone could not
defend himself and his sheep against a pack of hungry wolves. So, next
morning, he was found badly injured, and the sheep were gone. Everyone
was sorry for the man, but all knew he could blame only himself. He had
cried "wolf!" too often, when there was no wolf there, and so he was not
believed when the wolf came at last.

"Johnnie Jones," said Mother, when she had finished the story, "you have
cried so often when there was no reason for crying, that this one time
when you cried because you were really hurt, no one believed you. I am
very sorry for you, little son, but don't you see that it was no one's
fault but your own?"

* * * * *




Johnnie Jones's Birthday Party


A few days before Johnnie Jones's fifth birthday, Mother asked him what
he would like to have for a birthday present.

"A party," he answered immediately, "and I want to invite all the
children who live on this street."

"Very well," Mother said, "we'll write the invitations now, on your own
note paper."