Deep within the captivating rolling fields, resided a boy named Shepherd. His life was mostly pure, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the breezes through the lone tree on the peak were his only companions. Day upon day, watching over his wards imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. On one such day out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Tales of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but found no beast.
The boy giggled at the website confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.