The Story of the Shepherd Boy

Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, lived a boy named Shepherd. His life was mostly unadulterated, simple, and honest. His only responsibility was mainly to look after his herd of rams.

Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only associates. Day after day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.

Yet, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. In one such instance because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a naughty scheme.

Stories of wild beasts preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.

One afternoon he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers ran up the hills to help but saw no beast.

The boy chuckled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. Yet, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran read more for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.

Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.

The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to regain. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.