At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a young shepherd. His being was unadulterated, simple, and honest. His main role was to look after his herd of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind through the single tree on the hilltop were his constant companions. Day in day, looking out for his wards imbued in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. On one such day out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous plot.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but saw no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick persisted for a few days more. However, one day, a real The shepherd boy story wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.