At the center of the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His being was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to tend to his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the breezes across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his main associates. Day upon day, guarding his wards instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times click here moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous plot.
Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank persisted for a couple of more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy ran 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 reprimand 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 emphasizes how trust once lost, is difficult to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.