Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to care for his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, guarding his wards imbued in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. During one such occasion out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plan.
Narratives of wolves preying on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but discovered no wolf.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a here few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did attack the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is tough to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.