At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, dwelt a boy named Shepherd. His life was essentially pure, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to tend to his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the gales across the single tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day in day, watching over his responsibilities inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Narratives of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One morning he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but discovered no beast.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick persisted for a few days more. But, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. 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 could protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences check here of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.