Deep within the captivating rolling fields, resided a boy named Shepherd. His existence was unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was mainly to tend to his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the wind across the solo tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities imbued in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Tales of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank continued for a couple of more days. However, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is hard to regain. It's a click here story as appropriate today as it was in the past.