At the center of the captivating rolling fields, lived a young shepherd. His being was pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to look after his flock of rams.

Their soft bleating and the rustling of the wind through the lone tree on the peak were his constant co-dwellers. Day after day, guarding his charges inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.

However, there were the occasional moments of isolation, when the shepherd boy would long for company. In one such instance out of sheer monotony, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome plan.

Tales of wolves hunting on sheep had long been circulating in the village. So, the boy chose to used this fear and played a prank on the inhabitants.

One afternoon 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 nothing threatening.

The boy laughed at the puzzle on their faces. This trick persisted for a few more days. But, one morning, a real wolf actually attack the herd. 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 went back to the village only to here receive a scolding on honesty and the consequences of dishonesty.

His tale of this shepherd boy has been passed down generations as a mediaeval parable to teaching the value of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it stresses how trust once lost, is hard to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it was anciently.