At the center of the captivating rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His being was unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His main role was to tend to his flock of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes across the single tree on the mountaintop were his main companions. Day upon day, watching over his charges imbued in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. On one such day from sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plan.
Narratives of wolves hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played The shepherd boy story a prank on the townsfolk.
One day he dashed into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. However, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is difficult to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.