At the center of the enchanting rolling hills, dwelt a boy named Shepherd. His being was mostly unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was to tend to his flock of rams.
Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind across the lone tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.
Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. In one such instance from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plan.
Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but discovered no wolf.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This trick laughed for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf did attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the consequences of lying and The shepherd boy story the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.