At the center of the captivating rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His being was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to care for his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes across the solo tree on the hilltop were his only companions. Day in day, guarding his charges instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. During one such occasion because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a naughty plot.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.
One morning he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but found no wolf.
The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a couple of more days. However, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is difficult to regain. It's a story check here as relevant today as it was anciently.