Deep within the enchanting rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His existence was mostly pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind among the single tree on the hilltop were his main co-dwellers. Day after day, guarding his wards inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. During one such occasion because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty scheme.
Narratives of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the check here boy chose to exploit this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One morning he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This prank continued for a few days more. However, one noon, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.