Some people say, white lie. It does not hurt. Someone tells it to avoid hurting another person. I don't believe in that. A lie is a lie. Whether white or colored. God does not like dishonest or untruthful ones. In fact, lying is a bad habit. It shows insufficiency or decrease of the individuality. Cowardice or being afraid of something are one of its major merits.
The previous production leads to the story of that shepherd who used to lie to his village people.
Once upon a time a shepherd took