At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, resided a young shepherd. His life was pure, and unsophisticated. His main role was essentially to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes across the single tree on the hilltop were his only associates. Day after day, watching over his responsibilities instilled in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Narratives of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One morning he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The read more scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually attack the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.