In the heart of the enchanting rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His existence was pure, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was essentially to care for his flock of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his constant companions. Day upon read more day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. During one such occasion out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Stories of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the flock. The shepherd boy ran 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 sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.