Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a shepherd boy. His life was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was to look after his flock of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the breezes across the lone tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his wards instilled in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous scheme.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One day he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw no beast.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a couple of more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, 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 sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying click here and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.