In the heart of the enchanting rolling meadows, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the wind among the single tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day in day, looking out for his charges instilled in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In one such instance because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Narratives of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One morning he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This game laughed for a few days more. But, one day, a real wolf actually attack the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one here came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.