Deep within the captivating rolling fields, lived a boy named Shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was to look after his herd of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind among the single tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. In one such instance out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Stories of wolves hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One morning he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
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 receive a scolding on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for read more teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is tough to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.