At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, lived a shepherd boy. His being was pure, and unsophisticated. His main role was mainly to look after his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only associates. Day upon day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. During one such occasion out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plot.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of read more dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is difficult to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.