At the center of the mesmerizing rolling meadows, resided a boy named Shepherd. His life was unadulterated, and unsophisticated. His main role was essentially to tend to his flock of sheep.

Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales among the solo tree on the mountaintop were his only associates. Day in day, looking out for his charges inculcated in him a feeling of calm satisfaction.

But, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. On one such day because of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy here devised a mischievous plan.

Narratives of wolves prowling on sheep had long been circulating in the hamlet. So, the boy decided to exploit this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.

One morning he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is that has taken my sheep!” The scared villagers ran up the hills for rescue but found no wolf.

The boy laughed at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a few more days. But, one day, a real wolf actually come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for aid screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one came.

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 be met with a scolding on honesty and the results of dishonesty.

His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as pertinent today as it was then.