At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, resided a young shepherd. His being was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to tend to his flock of sheep.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the breezes through the solo tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day upon day, watching over his responsibilities imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plot.
Stories of predators prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear more info and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but found no beast.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a few more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of crying wolf.
The story of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.