The Story of the Shepherd Boy

At the center of the enchanting rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His existence was mostly pure, simple yet virtuous. His only responsibility was to look after his flock of rams.

Their low murmuring and the whispering of the gales across the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only associates. Day after day, guarding his responsibilities inculcated in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.

But, there were the occasional moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would pine for companionship. In one such instance click here out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty scheme.

Tales of predators prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the hamlet. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a joke on the inhabitants.

One day he ran into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.

The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This game persisted for a few days more. But, one day, a real wolf did come to prey the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.

Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.

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