Deep within the captivating rolling meadows, resided a young shepherd. His existence was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to care for his herd of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the gales across the single tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his wards imbued in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. During one such occasion out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plot.
Tales of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf here did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.