Deep within the mesmerizing rolling hills, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was mostly unadulterated, simple, and honest. His only responsibility was mainly to look after his herd of ewes.

Their low murmuring and the whispering of the wind among the single tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day in day, looking out for his charges instilled in him a sense of calm satisfaction.

But, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would yearn for fellowship. In one such instance from sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a naughty plot.

Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had long been circulating in the town. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the townsfolk.

One day he dashed into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no wolf.

The boy chuckled at the dilemma on their faces. This trick persisted for a couple of more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But more info this time, no one responded.

Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled 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 handed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once violated, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was in the past.