In the heart of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, lived a shepherd boy. His life was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to care for his herd of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the gales click here across the lone tree on the hilltop were his only associates. Day in day, looking out for his charges imbued in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
However, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. During one such occasion from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Stories of wild beasts prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One day he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick persisted for a couple of more days. However, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy ran for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a lesson on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.