At the center of the enchanting rolling meadows, dwelt a young shepherd. His being was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was to care for his flock of ewes.

Their soft bleating and the whispering of the breezes among the lone tree on the mountaintop were his only co-dwellers. Day upon day, guarding his wards inculcated in him a notion of quiet fulfillment.

But, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for companionship. On one such day from sheer monotony, the shepherd boy devised a troublesome scheme.

Narratives of wild beasts preying on sheep had been heard times and again in the town. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a prank on the villagers.

One morning he raced into the village screaming “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The scared villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but found no beast.

The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This trick continued for a few more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did attack the flock. The shepherd boy raced for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, more info no one responded.

Frustrated and alone, the boy battled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the town only to receive a scolding on honesty and the results of crying wolf.

His tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once lost, is tough to earn back. It's a story as pertinent today as it was in the past.