For thousands of years, two shepherds kept sheep in the open fields, hills, and mountains.  The flocks multiplied with many leaping lambs growing into strong sheep.  All day the sheep were free to graze grass and drink from the free-flowing springs.  Calmly and steadily their needs were met.  The two shepherds were amazed at the amount of wool produced by the flock.  They both decided to go into business on their own shearing and selling wool.

One kind shepherd drew close to his flock with father-like care. He spent time with them, considered their struggles and helped where needed.  As the sheep saw their shepherd as their friend they began to respond when they heard his voice.  He’d say “follow me” and they would.  He’d take them to the greenest fields, hills and mountains. And give them rest near the gentle cool springs.  This way of life made shearing the sheep a pleasant thing.  Sheep volunteered themselves when the call came for the next one to be sheered.  The shepherd enjoyed working with his sheep and the sheep were at healthy and happy too.  The shepherd sold wool with good profit. 

The other shepherd was a keen business man.  He planned his sheep shearing venture to become rich.  He built a large mechanized shearing center.  But the flock had no friendship with the rich shepherd and they were not attracted from the fields, hills, and mountains to such a place.  To overcome the distrust of the flock, the shepherd hired harvesters to cut all of the grass in the fields and bring it to the entrance of the shearing center.  When the sheep living in the fields found no grass, they followed their noses to the center and ate.  Day after day while the lambs were eating the rich shepherd and his hired men caught the lambs and caged them until all of the lambs were caged and the sheep were trained to come to the center for food. 

The rich shepherd’s hired workers cut the fields daily and fed the lambs in their cages while they grew.  The lambs produced wool and were sheared.  But the rich shepherd wanted more, so he tried to catch the full-grown sheep while they ate, but they were lively and ran past the fields to the hills where they found grass.  The shepherd released wolves into the hills to frighten the sheep back to the center.  The sheep that always lived in the hills ran further and escaped to the mountains where there was still some grass, but the other sheep ran for safety to the center and entered cages willingly for fear.

Now the shepherd thought, “My plan is a success!”  But it is a big job to keep that many sheep in cages.  Feeding the sheep became big business.  Hired workers would cut the fields and bring grass to the cages.  The shepherd was getting rich with wool.  Shepherds from other lands heard of the success and began wool business too.  This brought the price of wool down some and the rich shepherd wasn’t making as good of profit as he used to.  So, he made more smaller cages and multiplied his flock to get more wool.  The air around the center began to smell bad because of all of the sheep being crowded together.  His plan also increased the need for grass.  So, the price of grass went up.  And the rich shepherd didn’t make as good of profit as he used to.  So, he made more cages and began stacking them on top of the other cages to get more wool to sell.  Of course, this further increased the cost of grass.  So, he began paying harvesters in other lands less than his own harvesters to bring grass to the center.  “It worked!” he thought as he sold wool for good profit again.  But his sheep were not happy and not healthy anymore.  They were too weak from being in cages and not walking the fields, hills, and mountains to even dream of being free again.  Who can deliver them from this terrible life?

As time went on and more cages were added the price grass from other lands began to rise too, the health of the sheep sank deeper, and the rich shepherd wasn’t selling wool for as good profit as he used to.  So, he began to give the sheep medicines to make them grow and produce wool. He added artificial light to keep them awake longer so they could grow more wool.  He installed a cooling system to freeze the sheep into growing more wool.  He began sheering seven days a week.   He sold wool for good profit again.

One day the kind shepherd sent his son to the rich shepherd to offer to buy his sheep from him.  Because of the debts he had incurred from all of his business schemes the rich shepherd was compelled to listen.  The kind shepherd’s son said that he would pay full price for all of the sheep.  The rich shepherd was afraid that selling the sheep would put him out of business and refused to make the deal.  But the kind shepherd’s son made a most generous offer.

The kind shepherd’s son said he would pay full price for all of the sheep and open the doors to their cages for one day.  He explained that all of the sheep would be free to choose whether to stay or go.  The rich shepherd knew how weak, sick, depressed, and frightened the sheep were.  He knew they looked to him for food.  He knew it was cold out there and he had sheared the sheep down to bare skin. In all of his imagination he couldn’t see how a single sheep or lamb would would have courage to leave the safety of the center to follow this kind shepherd’s son who they didn’t even know to go out into the empty fields, hills with wolves, or the far away mountains.  With this presumption, he greedily took the kind shepherd’s son’s offer and made the deal. 

The kind shepherd’s son willingly paid full price and personally opened the doors of the cages for one full day.  He softly and tenderly called the sheep all morning.  Realizing the doors were open most of the sheep pressed to the back of their cages trembling with fear.  Some sheep ventured a step or two toward the door of their cages but would not go through.  Others ran out wild, putting themselves at risk of starvation, being prey to the wolves, or just living a life of fear without the father-like care of the kind shepherd.  But there were a few trembling sheep who followed the kind shepherd’s son all the way back to the kind shepherd. 

Seeing he only lost a few sheep in the deal and yet received full payment for all, the rich shepherd proudly mocked and jeered the kind shepherd’s son as he left with his little flock the weakest lamb being carried on his shoulder.  The next day, when the rich shepherd went about his business and saw the few cages empty, he became angry and set his mind to steal back the sheep that went free even if the price of wool made it unprofitable to keep and to feed them.  So, he dressed himself up to look like the kind shepherd’s son and went out into the fields, the hills and the mountains. To be continued…

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