Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His being was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to care for his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind among the solo tree on the peak were his only associates. Day upon day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome scheme.
Stories of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered no beast.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a couple of more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy read more has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.