In the heart of the enchanting rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to tend to his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the breezes among the lone tree on the hilltop were his constant companions. Day upon day, guarding his charges imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Tales of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! here There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but discovered no beast.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This game continued for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
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 be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.