Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His being was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was essentially to look after his herd of sheep.
Their soft click here bleating and the whispering of the gales through the single tree on the hilltop were his constant companions. Day in day, watching over his charges instilled in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plot.
Stories of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One day he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw no beast.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. However, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.