In the heart of the enchanting rolling fields, resided a boy named Shepherd. His existence was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was essentially to look after his flock of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the wind among the lone tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon more info day, watching over his charges imbued in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Narratives of predators preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This game persisted for a few more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.