Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His existence was pure, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was to care for his flock of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the gales through the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, here when the shepherd boy would pine for company. During one such occasion out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plot.
Tales of wolves prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to help but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.