At the center of the enchanting rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His being was essentially unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to tend to his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the wind among the single tree on the mountaintop were his main associates. Day in day, looking out for his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. During one such occasion because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Stories of predators prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the here hamlet. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One day he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but saw nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf did attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of dishonesty.
The story 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 crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.