At the center of the mesmerizing rolling hills, resided a shepherd boy. His being was essentially untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was mainly to look after his flock of ewes.
Their gentle baas and the rustling of the wind through the single tree on the mountaintop were his only companions. Day in day, watching over his wards inculcated in him a feeling of quiet fulfillment.
But, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. During one such occasion out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a naughty scheme.
Stories of wolves prowling on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the villagers.
One afternoon he ran into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers sprinted up the hills to help but discovered no wolf.
The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. Yet, one noon, a real wolf did charge at the flock. The shepherd boy dashed for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but managed to protect only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale 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 dangers of false website alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was anciently.