Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a boy named Shepherd. His being was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the breezes among the solo tree on the peak were his main associates. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities instilled in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
However, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous scheme.
Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few days more. However, one day, a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed get more info to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.