In the heart of the captivating rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His life was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to care for his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the breezes through the solo tree on the peak were his main associates. Day upon day, guarding his charges imbued in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no beast.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one morning, read more a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.