Deep within the mesmerizing rolling meadows, dwelt a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was mainly to look after his herd of sheep.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the breezes among the lone tree on the hilltop were his only associates. Day in day, guarding his charges imbued in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
However, there were occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. In one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plot.
Stories of predators preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One day he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but saw nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the dilemma on their faces. This game continued for a couple of more days. However, one day, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a here mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is difficult to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.