In the heart of the captivating rolling meadows, lived a young shepherd. His life was essentially pure, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to look after his flock of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind through the solo tree on the mountaintop were his main associates. Day in day, looking out for his charges imbued in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. During one such occasion because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plot.
Tales of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but saw no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and website the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is tough to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.