The Shepherd, His Sheep, and The Wolves

Only the sheep branded as mad saw The Great Slaughter coming; they warned the rest of the herd, “do not act in the ways of the wolves, for if you do The Shepherd will not be with you.” The flock is a stiff necked herd and did not heed these words. “There is no Shepherd,” said each of them in their heart, before they had gone their own way. They had taken up the ways of the wolf in foreign lands… and the herd prospered, growing fat in foreign meadows and forsaking their Shepherd. 

Natural law without the Shepherd would declare their slaughter; the wolves grew envious of the prosperous sheep. Many false claims would justify the slaughter of the sheep. From the sheep having no culture of their own, to the sheep being an inferior species. 

When some of the flock returned to The Shepherd they were red as scarlet. Many perished, and many did not return from the lands of the wolves; stuck in their ways living by the law of wolves, and not by the laws of The Shepherd.

After The Great Slaughter, The Shepherd had gathered most of what was left of his flock to the land of their forefathers: the Land of Grass and Grain. The land where The Shepherd rests on the farmhouse mount.

In the land of their forefathers they would be delivered from the wolves. The Elders of the sheep had vowed that no sheep be left behind, and the strongest of sheep were sent into foreign lands to return the rest of what was left of The Shepherd’s flock back to Him. For the one who does will see The Shepherd’s Face, and bring deserved retribution upon the nations made of wolves by The Shepherd's Hand.

Fluffy the Son of Wooly was a sheep, fleece white as snow, born in foreign lands, never to know the ways of The Shepherd. The grass he ate was sweeter than honey but as bitter as wormwood, and he did not speak the language of his forefathers. Fluffy lived in fear of the wolves, as he has seen what they have done to the others. One day, in the forbidden meadow, a sheep sent by the word of The Shepherd had stumbled on Fluffy. He had been sent by the elders to find sheep living in the diaspora, and bring them home. Fluffy had yet to notice him until the sound of a bell rang with excitement. Fluffy peered over his side to see a very muscular Jacob Sheep with a bell around his neck attached from a red collar hurling towards him. He had four beautiful horns, a thick black fleece, and an even thicker accent. 

“I find you! I find you!” said the black Jacob Sheep with joy.

“What the hell are you on about?” said Fluffy, stepping away from what appeared to be a mad sheep.

“I sent from the land of  Shepherd, you come home now.” 

“There is no such thing as a Shepherd, and I am home” said Fluffy, nearly going back to eating the unclean grass. Before he could, the black sheep nudged Fluffy with his horns stopping him from enjoying food not permitted by The Shepherd.

“No eat! No eat!” said with concern.

“What the Baahk is your problem!” said Fluffy with a thinned temper.

“AAAAHBABABABA! No swear! No Swear!” Said the black sheep shaking his head violently and ringing his bell as if doing so would take the sounds of swears out of it.

Fluffy looked at the Jacob Sheep, concluding that he was as mad as they come… little did he know.

“I’m going to go back to eating my grass, now Baahk off would you.”

“AAAAAHBABABABA! No swear! No eat!” said the black sheep, shaking his head and ringing the bell more violently than before. The sound of the bell echoed throughout the meadow.

“Shhh be quiet would you, they’ll hear us, and make us both into their lunch.”

“I no afraid babababa. I blessed by Shepherd, he watches me now… he watching you now,” said the black sheep in his thick accent.

“You are more mad than I thought,” Said Fluffy, slowly lowering his head towards the unclean grass. This time the black sheep rammed his horns into Fluffy knocking him over. If it weren't for his unkempt wool he would have been injured.

“No eat!”

“Why the Baahk not!” 

“No Swear! AAAAAAHBABABABA!”

“Cut that out, they will hear you… and why no eat?” said Fluffy imitating his accent.

“Parasites in grass, it take longer for Shepherd to clean you.”
“What? I don’t need to be cleaned,” said Fluffy, offended.

As the two argued back and forth as is the way with sheep, the wolves were approaching over the hills. Lurking towards the sheep in the meadow. Fluffy was first to notice the wolves. 

“Play dead, I have done this before, they will go away.” said Fluffy rolling over and playing dead and hoping the wolves had already eaten.

“HellooOOoooOO ugly wolves! Proud sheep here!” screamed the black sheep. 

“What are you doing!” said Fluffy, ready to faint from the fear. 

“Shepherd watching… I no scared… I stand upright.”

“Play dead or you're going to be.”

“This not our way, silly silly sheep… call to Shepherd.”

“The Shepherd is not real.” said as the wolves got closer.

BANG! Fluffy was shaking as a loud sound he has never heard before shook the sky.

“AAAAHBABABA!” screamed Fluffy rolling on the ground short of breath.

“Babababa there is no shepherd?” laughed the black sheep.

“What was that?” yelled Fluffy now looking at the reddened wolf laying dead just a few yards away.

“Shepherd! blessed be He. He take care of us… all of us.”

“Take me with you!”

“Follow me… you learn the way.”

As they trekked over the forbidden meadow with no food or water, to The Land of Grass and Grain. Fluffy was in awe of the black sheep who stood upright in the face of wolves.

“Who are you?

 “מענדל” 

“What?”

“MEN-DEL!” said the black sheep bobbing his head from side to side with each syllable.

“I’ve never heard that one before.”

“you no have Sheepbrew name?” Said MEN-DEL with shock.

“What is Sheepbrew?”

“We fix, we fix, no worry, I take you to the bahbbi.”

“I rather like my name,” said Fluffy.

The black sheep stopped in his tracks to look at Fluffy and spit on the ground in front of him.

“חס ושלום”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“We fix, no worry, now behold Land of Shepherd.”

Fluffy and Mendel made it over the final hill to the valley. Inside the valley sheep laid, more sheep than Fluffy has ever seen, and the grass truly was greener. The white gates were open upon them, and they entered. Each sheep greeted Fluffy, some as weird and alien as Mendel, and others completely normal to Fluffy, as they too were born an alien to their own flock. One sheep in particular stood out to Fluffy. He was white as snow from age, and was just as frail. Fluffy had never seen a sheep so old in his short life; they didn't last too long where he was from. This sheep approached him slowly as the elderly often are, and the sheep around him parted as he walked. 

“Who is that?” Whispered Fluffy to Mendel.

“The Bahbbe.”

“I still don’t know who that is?”

“Head Bahbbi?”

“Your lips are moving but I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“He fix.”

“I don’t need to be fixed!”

“Shhhh, he speak now.”

The elderly sheep walked one full circle around Fluffy, examining his unkempt wool. When he came one full circle around he repeated it again, stopping right in front of Fluffy’s face.

“Shepherd has been with you.” said The Bahbbe in an even thicker accent than Mendel.

“I’ve never seen such Shepherd.” said Fluffy.

“He’s seen you. Blessed be He… What is name?”

“Fluffy!” said Fluffy firmly.

“Such emasculating name.”

“Well it's mine…”

“Given to you in tongue of wolves… you earn new name when Shepherd calls to you by new name.” said the Bahbbe as the rest of the sheep nearly fainted from the remark.

“And where is this Shepherd?”

“He sits top of farmhouse mount.”

“Has anyone ever seen Him.”

“There has been one who has seen His face, yes. We wait for second sheep to see face.”

“So, no.”

“We have seen His workers, they will come in morning to snip your fleece.”

“I did not sign up for this,” said Fluffy fearfully, and ready to leave. He turned around and worked his way near the exit.

“Floofy wait… I know you seen works of  Shepherd, you find only death outside.”

The Bahbbe had a point, and fluffy stared out to the less green meadows outside the valley of The Shepherd.

“You safe here, you home here. You join us for breaking of grain?”

“What is grain?”

“Food from Shepherd… you must.”

“I guess I could try it”

… Grain: ever so much better than unclean… grass. As they ate, they also drank… clean waters, and Fluffy loosened up. The sheep in the valley of the shepherd were a lively bunch full of life, and that life was contagious. Many of the sheep could speak in Shpinglish despite the thick accent. They could also speak in Shparamiac, Shrussian, Shpiddish and many more. There were many sheep from all over, but all were united as sheep under The One True Shepherd. The night went on with headbutting, loud Baahings, and endless food and drink.

“Enjoy yourself Floofy, worker come to snip fleece in morning.” said The Bahbbe drunk on life but mostly… clean waters. 

“Not if I make a run for it,” said Floofy laughing both hysterically and anxiously. 

In the morning the sun hits the valley just right, and the cool air turns warm. The workers come shortly after the sun breaks the horizon and overfloweth their feeding stations and watering holes. The workers were quick to notice the unkept sheep within the land. All the sheep gathered for the snipping of the fleece, it is the covenant made with the Shepherd.

“Too late to run Floofy!” said The Bahbbe, as the workers held him down with shears. By the end of the snipping, his wool was clean, and he became one with the herd.  

Many moon cycles passed and Fluffy learned the ways of those before him, but in his heart he could not forget the wilderness from which he came, and all the sheep who had yet to learn the truth of The Shepherd.

On the night of the new moon Fluffy was last to go to sleep. Who would believe what he had seen. From the farmhouse a great whistle called out to him. Fluffy stayed still knowing it is forbidden to even walk near the farmhouse mount, but the whistling did not stop. Following the sound and walking blindly into the house lights, he heard the call of The Shepherd. The light from behind him was too great and Fluffy could not look upon His Face. Fluffy laid down on his stomach as he heard the soft voice of The Shepherd speak to him.

“What is your name?” asked The Shepherd.

“Baaaaaaaaaah.”

“Hardly a suitable name for a sheep of your size. How does שָׁאוּל sound.”

“Baaaaaaaaaah.”

“Where are you from?”

“Baaaaaaaaah.”

“Not from here… interesting… I will use you to find more like you.”

“Baaaaaaaaah?” said with an attitude. 

“ENOUGH! I am The Shepherd. It is I who has built the gate around the place you now call home and have taken you in from foreign lands to be a Shepherd unto you! Can a sheep know the ways of The Shepherd?”

“Baaaaaaah.” said, shaking.

Two gentle Hands were placed on the neck of  שָׁאוּל, and שָׁאוּל closed his eyes in fear. When he reopened them the Hands had retreated back into the light, and a blue collar with a tag and bell was around his neck. 

“My sweet sheep, fear no wolf for I Am with you” 

“Baaaaaah?”

“אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה” said The Shepherd.

“Baaaaaaah.”

 וְעַתָּה֙ אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְע֔וּ בְּקֹלִ֖י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֜י סְגֻלָּ֗ה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּ֔ים כִּי־לִ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ”

“וְאַתֶּם֙ תִּהְיוּ־לִ֣י מַמְלֶ֣כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֗ים וְגוֹי֙ קָד֔וֹשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל,

said The Shepherd. 

“Baaaah!”

"כִּ֣י עַם֩ קָד֨וֹשׁ אַתָּ֜ה לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ וּבְךָ֞ בָּחַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לִהְי֣וֹת ל֔וֹ לְעַ֥ם סְגֻלָּ֖ה מִכָּל־הָֽעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה"

"Baaaaaah.”

“וְאַף־גַּם־זֹ֡את בִּ֣הְיוֹתָ֣ם בְּאֶֽרֶץ־אֹיְבֵיהֶם֩ לֹ֨א מְאַסְתִּ֜ים וְלֹ֣א גְעַלְתִּ֗ים לְכַלֹּתָ֙ם֙ לְהָפֵ֣ר בְּרִיתִ֔י אִתָּ֑ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ וְזָכַרְתִּ֞י לָהֶ֣ם בְּרִֽית־רִאשֹׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אוֹתָם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְעֵינֵ֖י הַגּוֹיִ֑ם לִהְי֣וֹת לָהֶ֔ם לֵאלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה”

“Baaaaaaaah.”

"כִּ֣י אֵ֥ל רַחוּם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֣א יַרְפְּךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א יַשְׁחִיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁכַּ֔ח אֶת־בְּרִ֥ית אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּֽע לָהֶֽם"

“Baaah.”

“This is my eternal word,” said “The Shepherd.”