At the center of the captivating rolling meadows, lived a boy named here Shepherd. His being was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His main role was to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the breezes through the lone tree on the hilltop were his main companions. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities imbued in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. On one such day out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Tales of predators prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One day he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This prank laughed for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually attack the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.