In the heart of the enchanting rolling meadows, resided a young shepherd. His life was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to look after his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind among the solo tree on the peak were his main co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plot.
Narratives of wild beasts preying on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the more info boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One morning he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This prank persisted for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.