Deep within the captivating rolling hills, resided a young shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was essentially to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft check here bleating and the rustling of the breezes across the solo tree on the mountaintop were his main associates. Day in day, guarding his wards inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous scheme.
Stories of wild beasts preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a couple of more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf did attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was anciently.