In the heart of the mesmerizing rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to care for his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the wind through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only co-dwellers. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities imbued in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a naughty scheme.
Tales of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank continued for a few days more. But, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once more info broken, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.