Deep within the captivating rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His existence was mostly untarnished, simple, and honest. His primary duty was essentially to care for his flock of ewes.

Their low murmuring and the murmuring of the wind through the solo tree on the hilltop were his only associates. Day upon day, guarding his wards imbued in him a feeling of tranquil contentment.

Yet, there were at times moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would yearn for company. On one such day out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy conceived a naughty scheme.

Tales of wild beasts hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.

One afternoon he dashed into the village shouting “Wolf! A wolf is attacking my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills to help but found no beast.

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

Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could protect only few of his flock. Devastated, he went back to the village only to receive a lesson on honesty and the consequences of false alarms.

The story of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it stresses how trust once broken, is hard to earn back. It's a story as more info appropriate today as it was anciently.