Narrative of the Young Shepherd
At the center of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a young shepherd. His existence was mostly untarnished, and unsophisticated. His main role was essentially to care for his flock of rams.
Their soft bleating and the rustling of the breezes through the lone tree on the hilltop were his constant associates. Day after day, watching over his wards inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.
But, there were occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for company. On one such day out of sheer boredom, the here shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plot.
Stories of predators hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the hamlet. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.
One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers rushed up the hills to help but found nothing threatening.
The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This game laughed for a couple of more days. Yet, one day, a real wolf actually attack the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy ran for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is hard to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.