In the heart of the enchanting rolling hills, resided a boy named Shepherd. His being was mostly untarnished, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the gales across the solo tree on the hilltop were his main associates. Day in day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. During one such occasion out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Stories of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The website frightened villagers ran up the hills for rescue but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank persisted for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf did charge at 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 rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.