The Boy Who Cried Murder

     House Rules is a great murder mystery, while the Boy Who Cried Wolf is great moral story. Despite their glaring differences (like how one is a novel and one is a fable) they both have similarities. 

     In House of Rules, the story centers around a teenager named Jacob Hunt, who has Asperger’s Syndrome and is a suspect in a murder case. The story is based in a small town called Townshend in Vermont. Jacob is a terrible liar, since his disorder gives him a hard time when he lies, making it blatantly obvious when he does. One time in the book, Jacob called the police and told them that his mother abused him, so that he can go and see his idol, Doctor Henry Lee. When Detective Matsen learns about the ruse, he tells if Jacob cries wolf again, then the police wouldn’t believe him if he really was in danger. Speaking of crying wolf, this leads to me to my next topic, The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
  
     The fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, revolves around a shepherd who is a skilled liar. This leads to his downfall, however, because he constantly tricks the villagers into believing that his flock of sheep is being attacked by wolves. When he does tell the truth (the wolves are actually attacking his flock) the villagers don’t come to his aid, and his flock of sheep gets slaughtered by the wolves.

     Both Jacob and the Boy “cried wolf” (although Jacob only did it once; and the Boy did it multiple times) but that’s where their similarities end. While the Boy is a skilled liar, Jacob is a terrible one (people can easily find out when he lies). Another difference they have is the story’s format and genre: House Rules is mystery novel, while The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a story from Aesop’s Fable.

     Even though both stories may be very different in some cases, both are a very enjoyable read, and with both with a moral behind the story.