Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a shepherd boy. His existence was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was essentially to tend to his flock of ewes.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind among the single check here tree on the hilltop were his only companions. Day in day, watching over his wards inculcated in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. During one such occasion from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous scheme.
Narratives of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One day he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills for rescue but saw nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank laughed for a few days more. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.