Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His life was pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was essentially to care for his flock of sheep.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the wind among the lone tree on the hilltop were his only associates. Day in day, looking out for his responsibilities inculcated in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. In one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plot.
Narratives of predators preying on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy chose here to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. However, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.