Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a shepherd boy. His life was mostly pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was essentially to look after his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the breezes among the lone tree on the hilltop were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. During one such occasion out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty scheme.
Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been heard times more info and again in the town. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One day he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills for rescue but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game continued for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village 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 emphasizes how trust once broken, is tough to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.