At the center of the captivating rolling hills, dwelt a boy named Shepherd. His existence was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was essentially to look after his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the wind among the single tree on the mountaintop were his constant companions. Day in day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
But, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. During one such occasion because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plot.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy opted to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One day he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but saw no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. Yet, one morning, here a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.