In the heart of the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His existence was essentially unadulterated, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to tend to his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the gales through the single tree on the peak were his main companions. Day upon day, looking out for his charges instilled in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
But, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. On one such day from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Narratives of wild beasts preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One day he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game laughed for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the The shepherd boy story flock. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.