Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was essentially to care for his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind through the solo tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities instilled in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. On one such day out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Stories of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One day he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to help but discovered no beast.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. Yet, one day, a real read more wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.