At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His being was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the breezes through the lone tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, watching over his wards inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Stories of predators hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to help but saw no beast.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he website returned to the town only to receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale 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 risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.