At the center of the captivating rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His being was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His main role click here was to tend to his flock of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his constant companions. Day after day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous scheme.
Tales of predators prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One day he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but discovered no beast.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, 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 passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.