At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His existence was essentially untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind among the single read more tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day upon day, watching over his responsibilities inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plan.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One day he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game laughed for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy ran for help, 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 flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.