At the center of the enchanting rolling meadows, resided a boy named Shepherd. His being was mostly untarnished, and unsophisticated. His primary duty was to tend to his flock of sheep.

Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the gales across the single tree on the peak were his main companions. Day upon day, looking out for his responsibilities instilled in him a notion of tranquil contentment.

Yet, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. In one such instance out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy conceived a mischievous plot.

Tales of wild beasts preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy chose to exploit this fear and played a trick on the townsfolk.

One morning he raced into the village shouting “Wolf! There click here is a wolf attacking my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but found nothing threatening.

The boy giggled at the confusion on their faces. This trick laughed for a couple of more days. But, one noon, a real wolf did come to prey the grazing sheep. The shepherd boy raced for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.

Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he returned to the village only to be met with a lesson on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.

The story of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the importance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the perils of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.