At the center of the enchanting rolling meadows, lived a young shepherd. His existence was pure, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was essentially to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the gales among the single tree on the peak were his only associates. Day upon day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Narratives of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One morning he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did attack the flock. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences click here of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.