At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His being was mostly pure, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was essentially to look after his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the breezes through the solo tree on the peak were his constant companions. Day in day, looking out for his wards instilled in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
However, check here there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Tales of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but found no beast.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. However, one day, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.