Deep within the enchanting rolling hills, resided a young shepherd. His existence was unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was mainly to care for his flock of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the wind through the lone tree on the hilltop were his main companions. Day in day, watching over his charges imbued in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. During one such occasion out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome scheme.
Stories of wild beasts preying on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One day he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to check here protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.