In the heart of the captivating rolling fields, lived a shepherd boy. His being was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His main role was mainly to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the breezes through the single tree on the mountaintop were his only associates. Day in day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
However, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. On here one such day out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a naughty scheme.
Narratives of wild beasts preying on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One day he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.