Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His being was mostly untarnished, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to care for his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. On one such day out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plan.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One day he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but found no beast.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank laughed for a couple of more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. more info Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.