At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His life was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to look after his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring more info and the rustling of the gales across the solo tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his wards instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
However, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Stories of wolves prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank persisted for a few more days. However, one day, a real wolf did attack the flock. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue 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 crying wolf.
His 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 perils of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is difficult to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.