Deep within the enchanting rolling meadows, dwelt a shepherd boy. His being was mostly pure, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was mainly here to tend to his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the whispering of the wind through the solo tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day in day, watching over his responsibilities instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. In one such instance out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty plot.
Stories of wild beasts hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a trick on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick laughed for a few days more. But, one morning, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
His 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 dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.