The Story of the Shepherd Boy

Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a young shepherd. His life was mostly unadulterated, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to tend to his herd of rams.

Their gentle baas and the murmuring of the gales among the lone tree on the peak were his only companions. Day after day, guarding his charges imbued in him a sense of calm satisfaction.

But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. On one such day because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome scheme.

Tales of wild beasts prowling on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to used this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.

One morning he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to help but discovered nothing threatening.

The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This game persisted for a few days more. Yet, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.

Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.

The tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the website consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is tough to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.