Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, dwelt a young shepherd. His life was essentially unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His main role was to look after his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes through the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day upon day, watching over his responsibilities instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. On one such day because of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy conceived a troublesome plan.
Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the townsfolk.
One afternoon he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no wolf.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This trick laughed for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf did attack the herd. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.
His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of website dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was in the past.