At the center of the enchanting rolling meadows, resided a young shepherd. His being was essentially untarnished, simple, and honest. His only responsibility was to tend to his herd of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes among the single tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day upon day, guarding his responsibilities instilled in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
However, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. During one such occasion because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Tales of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but check here found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick continued for a few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf actually come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is tough to regain. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.