Betsy Who Cried Wolf

***Betsy Who Cried Wolf*** is a 2002 children's book written by Gail Carson Levine and illustrated by Scott Nash. It is based on the Aesop's Fable *The Boy Who Cried Wolf*, where a shepherd boy fools the villagers into thinking there's a wolf. When an actual wolf appears, no one believes him, and the sheep are eaten. Levine's version, however, focuses on a shepherd who *is* telling the truth, though the wolf hides each time the farmers arrive.

## Official Synopsis

Any wolf who tries to eat Betsy's sheep had better watch out. But Zimmo is no ordinary wolf—he's a hungry wolf, with a plan!

In her first picture book, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine puts her own spin on a traditional tale, while Scott Nash brings a comic sensibility to this hilarious story.

– *Official Book Description*
## Dedication

*To Ginger Knowlton. Many thanks for being in my corner. I'm always happy to see your smiley faces ;)!*.
—*G.C.L*

*For Eda, Mary Anne, and Russ*
—*S.N.*

## Critical reception

*Kirkus Reviews* wrote, "Levine continues her tradition of reworked fairy tales with strong heroines begun with Ella Enchanted (1999) in this delightful tale of a bright young girl who can stand up for herself and the sheep she guards...A must-have." *Publishers Weekly* called it "hilarious" and *School Library Journal* described it as a "amusing retelling of the classic fable."

## Plot

Betsy is a eight-year-old girl who plans to become the best shepherd of Bray. The wolf named Zimmo is hungry, though, and plans to trick the shepherd and farmers. The next morning, Betsy guides the sheep up Rosenrise Mountain. Zimmo, who is hiding in the thicket, pops out. Betsy sees him and blows her wolf whistle, leading to every farmer in Bray arriving to the pasture. They ask where the wolf is, since Zimmo retreats back into the thicket, hidden from plain sight. Consequently, none of the farmers believe her, and Betsy is left alone with the sheep. After she eats her lunch, she sees the wolf and uses her whistle again. Half of the farmers arrive this time and don't see the wolf, so Betsy's whistle gets taken away and she is sent to Shepherd School.

The next morning, Betsy gets one final chance. When the wolf appears, this time planning to attack the flock, Betsy blows her whistle though no one comes. As she steps away, her foot kicks her lunch pail and Zimmo pauses. Betsy uses her tin plate of shepherd's pie as a weapon, though Zimmo backs off. She decides to give him some helpings to the pie, and once his appetite is sated, the wolf leaves.

As Betsy continues trekking through Resenrise, Zimmo follows her and notices some lambs dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He ends up saving them and helping to herd the sheep. That night, the wolf is invited to Betsy's house. In the morning, the farmers apologize and Zimmo takes the Shepherd's Oath to become a shepherd.

## Trivia

* It was named a IRA/CBC Children's Choice.
* On her website, Levine explained: "I have nothing against the moral of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.'" She continued, "If you lie constantly, people shouldn't believe you. Absolutely not. But it's the wrong moral for this story. The right moral, in my opinion, would be a lot longer. It would go, If you care about your sheep and tell somebody to watch them, and he proves two times in a row that he's not ready for the job, then you should fire him or keep checking whenever he hollers. [...] I thought, Wouldn't it be funny if a wolf and shepherd's pie were in a story together? Betsy is about as different from the Boy as can be. She would never cry wolf unless there was a wolf."

## References

1. ↑ "Betsy Who Cried Wolf | Gail Carson Levine"

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