At the center of the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a shepherd boy. His being was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to care for his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the whispering of the gales across the solo tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, watching over his charges inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In one such instance because website of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plan.
Stories of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the results of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is hard to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.