Deep within the captivating rolling hills, lived a shepherd boy. His being was pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was mainly to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind across the lone tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, watching over his charges imbued in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
But, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Tales of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is difficult to regain. It's a story as relevant today as read more it was in the past.