Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to tend to his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind across the solo tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, guarding his wards imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous scheme.
Tales of predators hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of here more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was in the past.