In the heart of the enchanting rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His existence was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was essentially to look after his here herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the gales across the single tree on the mountaintop were his main companions. Day in day, guarding his charges instilled in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a naughty plan.
Stories of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One day he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a couple of more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.