At the center of the captivating rolling meadows, resided a boy named Shepherd. His life was essentially untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was to tend to his flock of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the gales across the solo tree on the hilltop were his main companions. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities instilled in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
However, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous scheme.
Narratives of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One day he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty here and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is tough to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.