The Shepherd Boy and The Wolf ![This story teaches the PQs for Blended letters and the drawn-out Exception sounds, sometimes made by the letters ‘O’, ‘A’, ‘U’, and ‘Y’. The PQ hint button next to each paragraph will tell you which kinds of PQs are being taught in that paragraph. Remember, dotted-underlined letters are always Blended together. Wide, stretched letters always say their drawn-out Exception sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
Also known as, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
![There really is a wolf out here.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wolf-Boy-Facing-Wolf-300x156.jpg)
A Shepherd Boy tended his master’s sheep, near a dark forest, not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog, or to play on his shepherd’s pipe.
![In the word ‘watching’, the letter ‘A’ is stretched to say its ‘AHH’ sound. In the word ‘quiet’, the letter ‘U’ is stretched to say its ‘WUH’ sound. In the word ‘thought’, the letter ‘O’ is stretched to say its ‘AHH’ sound.
Stretched letters ALWAYS say their drawn-out Exception sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
One day, as he sat watching the sheep and the quiet forest, and thinking what he would do should he see a wolf, he thought of a plan to amuse himself.
![In the word ‘anything’, the letters ‘I’, ‘N’, and ‘G’ blend to say their ‘ING’ sound. In the word ‘toward’, the letters stretched ‘A’ and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘OAR’ sound.
Dotted-Underlined letters ALWAYS say their Blended sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
His master had told him to call for help, should a wolf attack the flock, and the villagers would drive it away. So now, though he had not seen anything that even looked like a wolf, he ran toward the village, shouting at the top of his voice, “Wolf! Wolf!”
![I'll fool those silly townspeople.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wolf-Boy-Yelling-Wolf.jpg)
![In the word ‘their’, the letters ‘E’, silent ‘I’, and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘AIR’ sound. In the word ‘there’, the letters ‘E’ and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘AIR’ sound.
Dotted-Underlined letters ALWAYS say their Blended sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
As he expected, the villagers who heard the cry dropped their work and ran in great excitement to the pasture. But when they got there, they found the boy doubled up with laughter at the trick he had played on them.
![In the word ‘more’, the letters ‘O’ and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘OAR’ sound.
Dotted-Underlined letters ALWAYS say their Blended sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
A few days later, the Shepherd Boy again shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” Once more, the villagers ran to help him, only to be laughed at, again.
![That's not funny, what you did.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wolf-Townspeople.jpg)
Then one evening, as the sun was setting behind the forest, and the shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a wolf really did spring from the underbrush, and fall upon the sheep.
![In the word ‘shouting’, the letters ‘I’, ‘N’, and ‘G’ blend to say their ‘ING’ sound. In the word ‘before’, the letters ‘O’ and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘OAR’ sound.
Dotted-Underlined letters ALWAYS say their Blended sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
In terror, the boy ran toward the village, shouting “Wolf! Wolf!” But though the villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help him, as they had before. “He cannot fool us again,” they said.
![Go away you evil beast, help, help.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wolf-Boy-Sees-Real-Wolf-300x236.jpg)
![In the word ‘forest’, the letters ‘O’ and ‘R’ blend to say their ‘OAR’ sound.
Dotted-Underlined letters ALWAYS say their Blended sounds.](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hint.png)
The wolf killed a great many of the boy’s sheep, and then slipped away into the forest. Liars, are not believed, even when they speak the truth.
![Why don't they believe me, this time?](https://mlc.learningstewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wolf-Boy-in-Tree.jpg)
listen: Stretch |
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listen: Stretch |
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listen: Stretch |
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listen: Stretch |
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listen: Stretch |
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listen: Stretch |
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look: Stretch |
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listen: Blended |
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listen: Blended |
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listen: Blended |
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listen: Blended |
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listen: Blended |
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listen: Blended |
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look: Blended |
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look: Blended |
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look: Blended |
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1. Why was the shepherd boy need a plan to amuse himself?
a) because he got tired of playing checkers with the other shepherds
b) because he got tired of talking to his dog or playing on his shepherd’s pipe
c) because he got tired of reading
2. What did the shepherd boy do to make the villagers run to the pasture where he was watching the sheep?
a) He sent his dog down to the village to bring them back
b) he played such sweet music on his pipes that they wanted to come to listen
c) he shouted “Wolf! Wolf!”
3. How many times did this happen?
a) once
b) twice
c) three times
4. What was different about the last time?
a) there really was a wolf who ate some of the sheep
b) villagers were stealing the sheep
c) some of the sheep ran away
5. Who helped the shepherd boy and why?
a) the villagers helped because they liked him
b) no one helped because no one believed him
c) the dog scared the wolf away