At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a young shepherd. His being was essentially untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was mainly to care for his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his main co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his charges instilled in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Narratives of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One morning he dashed into check here the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but found no wolf.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.