Deep within the enchanting rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His existence was mostly unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to look after his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the gales through the single check here tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day upon day, guarding his wards imbued in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. During one such occasion from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome scheme.
Stories of wild beasts preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf actually come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.