Monthly Archives: September 2013
291.The Shepherd’s Boy
THERE was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the village calling out “Wolf, Wolf,” and the villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerable time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help. But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried out “Wolf, Wolf,” still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy’s flock, and when the boy complained, the wise man of the village said:
❖A LIAR WILL NOT BE BELIEVED, EVEN WHEN HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH.
290.The Shepherd and the Wolf
A SHEPHERD once found the whelp of a wolf and brought it up, and after a while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The wolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the shepherd, “Since you have taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp lookout, or you will lose some of your own flock.”
❖ Some can be trusted. Who are they? What do they have in common?
289.The Shepherd and the Sheep
A SHEPHERD driving his sheep to a wood, saw an oak of unusual size full of acorns, and spreading his cloak under the branches, he climbed up into the tree and shook them down. The sheep eating the acorns inadvertently frayed and tore the cloak. When the shepherd came down and saw what was done, he said,
“You! most ungrateful creatures! You provide wool to make garments for all other men, but you destroy the clothes of him who feeds you.”
❖ Overly self-centered moralising may not be benign.
288.The Shepherd and the Sea
A SHEPHERD, keeping watch over his sheep near the shore, saw the sea very calm and smooth, and longed to make a voyage with a view to commerce. He sold all his flock, invested it in a cargo of dates, and set sail. But a very great tempest came on, and the ship being in danger of sinking, he threw all his merchandise overboard, and barely escaped with his life in the empty ship. Not long afterwards when someone passed by and observed the unruffled calm of the sea, he interrupted him and said,
“It is again in want of dates, and therefore looks quiet.”
❖ When largely out of your waters, it may pay to keep your explanations quite tentative.
