Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, resided a shepherd boy. His life was essentially unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the gales through the single tree on the peak were his only companions. Day upon day, looking out for his wards instilled in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
But, there were occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous scheme.
Narratives of wolves preying on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One day he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to help but found no beast.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank laughed for a few website days more. Yet, one day, a real wolf did charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.