In the heart of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a young shepherd. His existence was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to tend to his herd of rams.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the wind through the lone tree on the peak were his only companions. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities inculcated in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
However, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Stories of predators hunting read more on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills for rescue but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with 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 for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.