At the center of the captivating rolling fields, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was mainly to look after his herd of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the breezes through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his main co-dwellers. Day in day, guarding his charges inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn here for companionship. During one such occasion from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plot.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found no beast.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
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 dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is tough to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.