In the heart of the captivating rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His life was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was to care for his flock of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the breezes among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day in day, watching over his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. On one such day because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous scheme.
Narratives of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in The shepherd boy story the hamlet. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One morning he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few days more. Yet, one noon, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.