Deep within the enchanting rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His existence was essentially pure, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was essentially to care for his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the breezes through the single tree on the hilltop were his constant co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plan.
Tales website of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This trick laughed for a few days more. But, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story 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 perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.