At the center of the mesmerizing rolling hills, resided a boy named Shepherd. His existence was essentially unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His main role was to look after his herd of ewes.
Their low murmuring and the rustling of the gales among the lone tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, looking out for his responsibilities imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. On one such day out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plan.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One afternoon he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but found no wolf.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as get more info it was then.