In the heart of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was mainly to care for his flock of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the whispering of the breezes across the lone tree on the hilltop were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous scheme.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One day here he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This prank continued for a few days more. Yet, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is tough to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.