The Wolf and the Shepherd
There once was a strong-willed, loyal and loving little boy. He grew up hearding sheep and helping on his families farm. Working with the sheep was his favorite chore. Every morning the Shepherd woke up and went to take care of the flock. He groomed them, fed them and made sure they always had water. He spent most of his day with the sheep and would only leave to run errands in the early afternoon. He would always make them quick, just to make sure that his flock was safe.
One particular evening as the flock headed back to their main area, the Shepherd heard the crunching of leaves and felt eyes on his back. He skimmed the tree line to meet glossy, yellow eyes. A Wolf emerged from the tree line. The Shepherd was scared that this would be the end of his sweet flock. To his surprise, the Wolf just casually emerged into the meadow.
The Shepherd stood firmly a few yards in front, to protect his flock. He remembered as a little boy his father would always warn him of wolves in the meadow. His father would always say, "Once a wolf, always a wolf."
The Shepherd and the wolf stared into each other's eyes as the wolf slowly came into the meadow.
"Stop," the Shepherd sternly said.
The wolf let out a little whimper and headed back into the tree line. Every evening after that the wolf would emerge from the woods. As the evenings passed, Chris let the Wolf come closer and closer to him and his flock. After two weeks, the Shepherd let the Wolf come into the meadow and be among the flock. He watched intently, as his father's advice played through his head.
Although the Shepherd was hesitant, he trusted the Wolf. The Wolf would relax with the flock and walk the perimeter around the meadow. The Wolf's ears would perk up to listen to what was deep into the woods and it would look past the tree line when it heard something. It got to be the early afternoon and the Shepard had to go into town. He was hesitant to leave the Wolf alone with the flock, but he had no other choice.
A couple hours passed as he visited a friend, went to the market and got supplies for dinner. An announcement sounded throughout the small town that a pack of wolves were spotted near all the farmland. He dropped his grocery bag and started running. He was gasping for air, not allowing himself to stop running. He was so frustrated that he let down his guard and trusted the wolf with his flock. He replayed it all in his head and thought it was all an act. The Wolf was just waiting for the perfect time to allow the rest of the pack to come.
He hopped over the fence and ran towards the meadow. He heard growling, whimpering and barking. Tears streamed down his face as it set in that his flock would be gone. As he ran down the small hill, he saw his flock running towards him.
"My flock! They're okay!" He shouted.
But he was confused to what the growling and barking was. Where was the Wolf? How was his flock still alive? He reached the edge of the meadow where he met eyes with a whole pack of yellow, glossy eyes. The Wolf snarled, barked and made the pack of wolves slowly go back into the woods.
His jaw dropped as he realized that the Wolf was protecting the sheep.
"Once a wolf, always a wolf." he said as he chuckled to himself.
Author's Note
When reading the original fable I knew I wanted to use this one as my Storytelling assignment. I felt like it was a great lesson that I could turn into a positive message. I change the ending where the Shepherd thinks that the Wolf can't be trusted, but in turn the Wolf was protecting the flock the entire time. It is a story about trust and not judging a book by it's cover.
Bibliography: This story is based on the fable “The Wolf and the Shepherd" Aesop for Children, by (anonymous), illustrated by Milo Winter (1919)
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