In the heart of the captivating rolling hills, resided a boy named Shepherd. His existence was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His main role was essentially to look after his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the gales among the single tree on the mountaintop were his main companions. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of tranquil contentment.
However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. On one such day because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the dilemma on their faces. This trick laughed for a few days more. But, one morning, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty check here and the results of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.