At the center of the enchanting rolling meadows, dwelt a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was to tend to his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the wind through the single tree on the mountaintop were his constant associates. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities inculcated in him a sense of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for companionship. In one such instance from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome plan.
Tales of wolves hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a trick on the villagers.
One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found nothing threatening.
The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a reprimand on honesty and the results of crying wolf.
His tale 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 dangers of here crying wolf. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once violated, is tough to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.