At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His being was essentially pure, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to look after his herd of rams.
Their gentle baas and the whispering of the wind across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome scheme.
Stories of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to help but saw nothing here threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This prank persisted for a few days more. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.