Deep within the enchanting rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His being was pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to look after his herd of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind through the single tree on the mountaintop were his main co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his responsibilities imbued in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. In one such instance from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Narratives of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick laughed for a few more days. here However, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.