In the heart of the enchanting rolling fields, dwelt a young shepherd. His life was essentially pure, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to look after his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales through the single tree on the peak were his only associates. Day after day, guarding his charges inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In website one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One morning he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to help but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a couple of more days. However, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
The story 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 crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is difficult to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.