Deep within the captivating rolling meadows, dwelt a young shepherd. His existence was mostly untarnished, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was mainly to tend to his flock of sheep.

Their soft bleating and the murmuring of the gales here across the single tree on the hilltop were his only co-dwellers. Day upon day, watching over his responsibilities inculcated in him a notion of calm satisfaction.

However, there were occasional moments of loneliness, when the shepherd boy would pine for fellowship. During one such occasion out of sheer boredom, the shepherd boy orchestrated a mischievous plot.

Stories of wolves preying on sheep had been around for a while in the town. So, the boy decided to leveraged this fear and played a prank on the villagers.

One afternoon he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf that has taken my sheep!” The frightened villagers rushed up the hills for rescue but saw no beast.

The boy chuckled at the confusion on their faces. This game continued for a few days more. However, one morning, a real wolf did come to prey the herd. The shepherd boy dashed for help, screaming “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one showed up.

Frustrated and alone, the boy fought against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Devastated, he returned to the town only to receive a reprimand on honesty and the consequences of crying wolf.

His tale 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 perils of false alarms. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to reclaim. It's a story as appropriate today as it was then.