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.

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.

A farmer discovering a lion, not a thief, standing over his missing bull

Audio available for B1 version

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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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