At the center of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, dwelt a boy named Shepherd. His existence was unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to look after his flock of rams.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the breezes among the lone tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, guarding his wards imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plan.
Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick persisted for a few days more. Yet, one day, a real wolf did charge at the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “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 sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations read more as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.