I wonder what was really going on with The Boy

I

’ve been thinking about the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and I have some questions.

I always thought it was supposed to be a fable to share with kids who lie or hypochondriacs who make a huge deal out of everything.

But lately, I’ve been wondering. What was it like for The Boy’s mother to watch her son cry wolf over and over again until she joined the townspeople in ignoring him? Was her son very anxious? Did he see often wolves from afar, and did the wolves appear closer than they actually were? Maybe he was the kind of kid who would wait to get picked up from a friend, and if his mother didn’t come exactly on time, he’d assume that he’d be left at his friend’s house for the rest of his life.

Did The Boy have poor perception? Was he the type of kid who confused wolves with dogs or cats? Maybe he was the kind of kid who would say, “A bee tried to sting me in the kitchen,” because he confused a bee with a fruit fly.