At the center of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to look after his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his constant companions. Day in day, guarding his wards imbued in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
However, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Stories of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick laughed for a couple of more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today read more as it was in the past.