At the center of the captivating rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His existence was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to care for his herd of rams.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the wind across the solo tree on the peak were his constant associates. Day after day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
However, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome scheme.
Tales of predators preying on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but discovered no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to receive 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 to teaching the significance of honesty, read more the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.