Deep within the captivating rolling meadows, resided a boy named Shepherd. His life was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His only responsibility was to tend to his flock of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the read more breezes among the lone tree on the peak were his constant companions. Day after day, watching over his charges imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. In one such instance from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plan.
Narratives of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One day he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. However, one day, a real wolf did attack the grazing sheep. 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 flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.