Deep within the captivating rolling hills, lived a shepherd boy. His life was pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to care for his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the wind through the lone tree on the hilltop were his only companions. Day after day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Tales of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but discovered no beast.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank persisted for a few more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf did attack the flock. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy website battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.