Deep within the website captivating rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was essentially to look after his flock of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his main associates. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plan.
Tales of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to help but found no wolf.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.