Deep within the enchanting rolling hills, resided a young shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the wind through the single tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities instilled in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
Yet, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plot.
Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank persisted for a few days more. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually charge at more info the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the results of false alarms.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.