Deep within the enchanting rolling fields, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was essentially untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the gales through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his constant associates. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities imbued in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. During one such occasion out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome scheme.
Stories of predators prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This trick laughed for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid 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 flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences more info of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.