At the center of the mesmerizing rolling fields, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was essentially pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was mainly to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their gentle baas The shepherd boy story and the whispering of the wind among the single tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, watching over his wards imbued in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. On one such day from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plan.
Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the town only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is tough to earn back. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.