The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Once up a time there was a mischievous young boy who was given the task of tending a herd of sheep on a hillside near a village. The boy grew tired and bored while watching the sheep, so he found ways to amuse himself, such as climbing trees or chasing sheep. One day he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. He climbed to the top of a tree and shouted toward the village:"Wolf! Wolf! Help me please!"
When the villagers heard his cries for help, they rushed up the hill to rescue him and chase the wolf away. Of course, when they got there, there was no wolf to be seen, and the boy, who was still in the tree, was laughing. The sheep were grazing peacefully. Annoyed, the villagers returned to the village and back to their normal activities.
A few days later, the boy grew bored again, and played the same trick on the villagers, This time the villagers were furious at the boy. That night he was punished by his mother for his bad behavior.
For a while after that, life went on as normal and the boy behaved, he didn't want to be punished again. Then, one afternoon while he was tending the sheep, he noticed that the sheep was were bleating and nervous. He didn't know what was causing their strange behavior, so he climbed a tree to see if he could determine what was going on. What he saw from a tree was a frightening sight, a big, hairy wolf chasing after the sheep, Terrified, he screamed for help:"Wolf! Wolf! There's a wolf chasing the sheep!"
This time, when the villagers heard his cries for help, they were convinced that it was another one of his pranks. Nobody believed that there was really a wolf, so they ignored his frantic calls for help. The wolf, having nothing to fear, feasted on several of the sheep and then slipped back into the forest.
Survival in the Outback
What would you do if you ever found yourself lost in the wild? To find out, you can join a weekend survival course in Australia's Outback Desert. This vast area is famous for its harsh desert climate.
To survive, your first task will be to find water, a rare commodity in the desert. Animals such as ants and seed-eating birds are strong indicators of water. You can also cut and suck moisture from the roots and leaves of plants. Trees like the desert oak have roots near the surface. But be careful, the branches of gum trees are a rich source of water, but the leaves are poisonous, so don't eat them.
The best place to build a shelter is in an area with the least amount of sunlight, like between sand dunes or in a trench, To make a trench, dig a hole big enough to lie down in and use the extra sand to create a barrier or wall on each side. This can help to shield you from the glare and scorching heat of the sun.
Nights can be cold, so knowing how to make a fire is essential. One way to build a fire is to use the hand drill method. This is one of the oldest and simplest ways to start a fire. It involves rolling a stick between your hands while pressing it onto a notched piece of wood with dry tinder below. The idea is to use the friction to create enough heat to ignite the tinder. This can be a lot of work.
As for food, you'll have to be open-minded. Some forms of life can be ugly to look at but can provide you with enough protein to survive. They may even taste good, like scrambled eggs!
(One way to prepare yourself to survive in the wilderness is to take a weekend survival course.)