In the heart of the enchanting rolling meadows, lived a young shepherd. His being was essentially unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was essentially to care for his flock of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the breezes through the lone tree on the check here mountaintop were his only co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his charges instilled in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. On one such day out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Tales of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.