At the center of the captivating rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to care for his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind across the solo tree on the peak were his main associates. Day after day, watching over his wards imbued in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Narratives of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One morning he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to help but saw nothing The shepherd boy story threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a few more days. However, one day, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences 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 implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.