At the center of the captivating rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, simple yet virtuous. His primary duty was mainly to tend to his herd of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the gales through the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day in day, guarding his responsibilities instilled in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plot.
Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One day he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers sprinted up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for The shepherd boy story teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.