In the heart of the enchanting rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His life was unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was mainly to care for his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the breezes among the solo tree on the peak were his only companions. Day upon day, guarding his charges inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. During one such occasion from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Stories of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, read more screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.