diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/slice-array.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/slice-array.md
index 800108d2..aee24811 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/slice-array.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/slice-array.md
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ country: Australia
 ```
 then
 ```bash
-yq '.country[4:]' sample.yml
+yq '.country[0:5]' sample.yml
 ```
 will output
 ```yaml
-ralia
+Austr
 ```
 
 ## Slicing strings - without the second number
@@ -126,11 +126,11 @@ country: Australia
 ```
 then
 ```bash
-yq '.country[0:5]' sample.yml
+yq '.country[5:]' sample.yml
 ```
 will output
 ```yaml
-Austr
+alia
 ```
 
 ## Slicing strings - without the first number
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
index c17ed259..d5191b54 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func getSliceNumber(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, node *CandidateNode,
 	return parseInt(result.MatchingNodes.Front().Value.(*CandidateNode).Value)
 }
 
-func sliceStringNode(lhsNode *CandidateNode, firstNumber int, secondNumber int) (*CandidateNode, error) {
+func sliceStringNode(lhsNode *CandidateNode, firstNumber int, secondNumber int) *CandidateNode {
 	runes := []rune(lhsNode.Value)
 	length := len(runes)
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func sliceStringNode(lhsNode *CandidateNode, firstNumber int, secondNumber int)
 	}
 
 	slicedString := string(runes[relativeFirstNumber:relativeSecondNumber])
-	return lhsNode.CreateReplacement(ScalarNode, "!!str", slicedString), nil
+	return lhsNode.CreateReplacement(ScalarNode, "!!str", slicedString)
 }
 
 func sliceArrayOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
@@ -70,11 +70,7 @@ func sliceArrayOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *E
 		}
 
 		if lhsNode.Kind == ScalarNode && lhsNode.guessTagFromCustomType() == "!!str" {
-			slicedNode, err := sliceStringNode(lhsNode, firstNumber, secondNumber)
-			if err != nil {
-				return Context{}, err
-			}
-			results.PushBack(slicedNode)
+			results.PushBack(sliceStringNode(lhsNode, firstNumber, secondNumber))
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
index 16e796eb..c4a6b783 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
@@ -101,18 +101,18 @@ var sliceArrayScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 	{
 		description: "Slicing strings",
 		document:    `country: Australia`,
-		expression:  `.country[4:]`,
+		expression:  `.country[0:5]`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[country], (!!str)::ralia\n",
+			"D0, P[country], (!!str)::Austr\n",
 		},
 	},
 	{
 		description:    "Slicing strings - without the second number",
 		subdescription: "Finishes at the end of the string",
 		document:       `country: Australia`,
-		expression:     `.country[0:5]`,
+		expression:     `.country[5:]`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[country], (!!str)::Austr\n",
+			"D0, P[country], (!!str)::alia\n",
 		},
 	},
 	{
diff --git a/project-words.txt b/project-words.txt
index ed57a37c..8f2fcf9e 100644
--- a/project-words.txt
+++ b/project-words.txt
@@ -303,3 +303,4 @@ ralia
 Austr
 ustrali
 héllo
+alia