At the center of the enchanting rolling fields, dwelt a shepherd boy. His existence was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the wind through the single tree on the mountaintop were his main co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome scheme.
Tales of predators hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick laughed for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to receive a reprimand on more info honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.