At the center of the enchanting rolling fields, dwelt a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was to tend to his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the gales through the solo tree on the hilltop were his main associates. Day in day, guarding his wards instilled in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Stories of predators prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy opted to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but saw no beast.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few days more. However, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of more info crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is tough to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.