Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, resided a shepherd boy. His life was mostly pure, simple, and honest. His only responsibility was to care for his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the gales among the single tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day upon day, guarding his wards inculcated in him a sense of tranquil contentment.
But, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a naughty scheme.
Stories of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to used this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One day he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no wolf.
The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick continued for a couple of more days. However, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
The tale of The shepherd boy story this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.