At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a shepherd boy. His existence was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His main role was mainly to look after his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the wind through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his main co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his responsibilities instilled in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous scheme.
Stories of predators prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One day he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick continued for a few days more. But, one morning, a real wolf actually come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been here handed down 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 violated, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.