The Wolf and the Old Woman
Once upon a time a hungry wolf lived in a small village near the mountains. All day long the wolf walked through the forest, but he found no food. Towards evening he was very hungry and came close to the village houses. From the open window of an old house came the crying of a baby. The wolf hid quickly under the window and listened in silence.
Inside the house an old woman rocked the crying baby in her arms. The woman got angry and said, "Stop crying or I will throw you to the wolf!" When the wolf outside heard these words, he became very happy and excited. "Today I am lucky, I will eat a tasty dinner," he thought. The wolf waited patiently under the window, but the time passed very slowly. The night became completely dark and at last the little baby stopped crying.
The old woman put the baby to bed and smiled at him with love. Then she said, "If that bad wolf comes here, we will kill him at once." The wolf heard these words and felt great surprise and great fear. At that moment he understood well: people do not always mean their words. Full of disappointment, he ran quickly back towards the forest. That night he stayed hungry, but he was glad to save his life.
Trusting careless words and acting on them always misleads a person.
Actions speak louder than words.