Honesty is the Best Policy By: The English Teachers

Fiction Sample: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” by Aesop There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the village calling out “Wolf, Wolf,” and the villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerable time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help. But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried out “Wolf, Wolf,” still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy’s flock, and when the boy complained, the wise man of the village said: “A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.” Aesop. "Lit2Go." "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf'" Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/375/the-boy-who-cried-wolf>.

Fiction Explanation “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” is a fable by Aesop that represents the theme “honesty is the best policy.” In this fable, the shepherd boy continues to lie to get attention. He thinks that he can “get a little company and some excitement” if he cries “Wolf, Wolf.” He does this same trick again and lures the villagers out to help him. When an actual wolf attacks, the boy again cries for help, but no one believes him and his whole flock is eaten. He consults the wise elder to learn that “A liar will not be believed.” If the boy had been honest, he would have saved his flock and perhaps had company as well. Thus, honesty would have been a really good policy—especially for the sheep.

Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night Visual Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night Van Gogh, Vincent, "Starry Night" "Vincent Van Gogh Gallery." Vincent Van Gogh Gallery. Templeton Reid, LLC, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html>.

Visual Explanation Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night represents the theme “honesty is the best policy.” In this painting, van Gogh sets his stars against a very dark background. The darkness of the painting represents the dishonesty of the world and even perhaps the idea of evil. Light represents goodness, honesty, and purity. The “stars” of the painting then would represent that honesty is the best policy by shedding light on a dark scene and being a guide to those who find themselves in that darkness.

Song: “You Lie” "You Lie" We lie in the dark I know you're awake The only sounds are the sounds this old house makes But, Oh, how I long, I long to hear your voice Desperate to talk, yearning to touch Burning inside 'cause I want you so much So I say I need you and leave you no choice You lie you don't want to hurt me So you lie, buy a little time, and I go along What else can I do, maybe it's wrong But you know how much I love you So you lie 'til you can find a way to say goodbye You lie How long until you just can't go on And the urge to break loose is just too strong You should let go that's what you want to do Oh but you don't know, you don't know If it's the right thing to do You lie you don't want to hurt me So you lie, buy a little time, and I go along What else can I do, maybe it's wrong But you know how much I love you So you lie 'til you can find a way to say goodbye You lie Charles Frank Black, Bobby Fischer, Austin Roberts, Writers. ""You Lie" Lyrics." REBA MCENTIRE LYRICS. AZLyrics.com. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rebamcentire/youlie.html>.

Song Explanation The song “You Lie” sung by Reba McEntire illustrates the theme “honesty is the best policy.” In this heartbreaking tune, the singer tells the story of a husband and wife that have drifted apart. The husband really wants to leave, but the wife tells him that she needs him. In response, instead of being true to his feelings, he “lies, 'til [he] can find a way to say goodbye.” All this does is prolong the hurt and make them both miserable. Even the wife knows that he needs to let go. She says, “you should let go that's what you want to do.” But instead of being honest, they continue to lie and pretend they love one another. Just telling the truth would free them both of the burden they carry and would allow them to move on in their lives.