In the heart of the enchanting rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His existence was essentially unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to care for his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the breezes among the lone tree on the hilltop were his constant co-dwellers. Day in 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. In one such instance check here from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Tales of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few days more. However, one noon, a real wolf actually come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “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 receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was in the past.