Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a shepherd boy. His life was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind among the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his charges imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for company. During one such occasion out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty scheme.
Stories of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One day he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! check here There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This game laughed for a few days more. But, one noon, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is hard to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.