At the center of the mesmerizing rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was essentially untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to care for his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the breezes across the solo tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day upon day, guarding his charges inculcated in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
However, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous scheme.
Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One day he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw no beast.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick here continued for a couple of more days. However, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.