At the center of the captivating rolling fields, resided a shepherd boy. His being was mostly untarnished, simple yet virtuous. His main role was essentially to look after his herd of ewes.

Their gentle baas and the whispering of the gales through the solo tree on the peak were his only co-dwellers. Day after day, watching over his responsibilities imbued in him a sense of tranquil contentment.

However, there were the occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would long for company. During one such occasion because of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy orchestrated a troublesome scheme.

Stories of predators hunting on sheep had been heard times and again in the village. So, the boy opted to exploit this here fear and played a trick on the villagers.

One morning he raced into the village yelling “Wolf! A wolf is preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills for rescue but discovered no beast.

The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This prank laughed for a few days more. But, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at 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 managed to rescue only few of his flock. Heartbroken, he returned to the village only to receive a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of dishonesty.

His tale of this shepherd boy has been handed down generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the significance of honesty, the implications of dishonesty and the dangers of false alarms. Moreover, it emphasizes how trust once broken, is hard to reclaim. It's a story as relevant today as it was then.