At the center of the captivating rolling meadows, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to look after his herd of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the breezes through the lone tree on the peak were his constant companions. Day after day, watching over his charges imbued in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. On one such day because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a naughty plan.
Stories of predators hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank laughed for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to more info earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.