At the center of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a boy named here Shepherd. His life was essentially pure, simple, and honest. His main role was to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind through the single tree on the peak were his main companions. Day in day, guarding his charges instilled in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Tales of wolves preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but discovered no beast.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This prank persisted for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “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. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.