Deep within the captivating rolling fields, dwelt a boy named Shepherd. His existence was mostly unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the breezes through the lone tree on the hilltop were his main companions. Day upon day, looking out for his charges imbued in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plot.
Stories of wild beasts prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to help but saw nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. website It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.