Deep within the captivating rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His being was pure, simple, and honest. His main role was mainly to look after his herd of rams.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the gales across the solo tree on the peak were his constant associates. Day after day, watching over his responsibilities imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plot.
Stories of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One day he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but saw no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few days more. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of here crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.