THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

While growing up, one of the stories told was of a little boy who cried "wolf". It comes from Aesop's Fables.   Here's the story :

The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!"

The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.

"Don't cry 'wolf', shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill.

Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.

When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"

But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.

Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!"

But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come. At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping. 

"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, 'Wolf!' Why didn't you come?"

An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.

"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth. "Nobody believes a liar . . .  even when he is telling the truth!"

For those of you who stayed with me this far, you are probably thinking, what does this have to do with anything? Let me tell you.

The fable had one point to make. If you lie and are found out to be lying, no one will believe you when [or if] you do tell the truth.

This is a cautionary tale for those who are so wrapped up in cryptids and carving themselves a niche in the community that they will go to any lengths to get there. 

Any lengths.

Fabricating "evidence".

Kissing butt. 

Joining the "floating head" society where anything and everything is a cryptid in bushes. And trees. And backyards. And sky.

Being part of the Shadow Brigade. [There's a shadow in the trees and bushes so there is a cryptid in there. Oh, sorry. You can't see them because you're not gifted or haven't devoted months to years being trained to see them.]

The insanity is . . . . .  well, insane.

Legitimate researchers, published authors, filmmakers, established bloggers and website founders, honest skeptics are all being insulted and belittled. This new wave has no history of cryptids, has no idea of what has gone before. They think they are new; that they have the inside edge. 


No, you don't. 

For those of you faking it, imagining it, inventing it : I wish you success in your research. Read up on it. Watch ALL the videos and documentaries out there. The fake with the real with the imagined and the concocted. Read every book you can get your hands on. Buy them, borrow them. If your local library doesn't own much, see if they will order you books to borrow from another library -- just give them the titles. There are places on the internet where you can digitally read books and articles -- for free. 

Go out and learn something.

And for Pete's sake, stop posting the 'Hope it is" photos. It just gets too sad. 

And, except for the group you are a member of, you are LAUGHED at. And ridiculed. Much more than those who have had a legitimate encounter or experience. Or who believe that there really are cryptids out there.

Unless you honestly don't care. Or if you're part of a "plot" to discredit paranormal and cryptid research. 

But that conspiracy theory would be a whole new post.

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."

"Nobody believes a liar . . . even when he is telling the truth!"

Thanks to storyart.org for the fable from Aesop.