Deep within the captivating rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to look after his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the gales through the single tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities imbued in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day because of sheer monotony, here the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.