Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a young shepherd. His existence was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the wind through the lone tree on the peak were his only companions. Day upon day, guarding his wards instilled in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome scheme.
Stories of predators hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One day he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but found no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a couple of more days. However, one morning, a real wolf actually come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the read more dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.