After a very long day, the shepherd prepared to bring his sheep home, not
knowing who watched him from a distance.
God had blessed him with 10 beautiful sheep. He loved them dearly and
enjoyed each of their unique personalities.
He would talk to them as he took them to graze, telling them his thoughts
and feelings for the day. He often warned them and directed them away from
dangerous places. Most of them listened,
but every now and then he’d have to be stern.
Nine of the ten responded to him, so he left the 9 and looked for Ben, the
one who tended to wander off.
As he left the 9 with his fierce sheep dog, a lurking stranger waited
patiently. He’d practiced the shepherd’s
voice for days, having learned the names of the sheep. (Or so he thought.) He threw some meat to the sheep dog far from
the nine and slowly approached the grazing sheep…
“Ben!” the shepherd yelled. He heard
Ben’s bleats, but couldn’t tell exactly where the sounds came from. “Ben, listen!
We’re heading home now. It’s time for us to go.” He then sang a hymn
that he sang every day as he walked his sheep to their home. Ben’s bleats sounded nearer until the shepherd
and Ben were reunited. But the shepherd
also heard nine frantic and fearful bleats!
The thief didn’t know what was wrong!
He thought he’d mastered the tone of the shepherd to perfection. And surely he had the names of the sheep
right? He’d waited so long for this. The
sheep dog was almost done with the meat, and the thief saw the shepherd and Ben
from a distance.
He ran.
The 9 bleats calmed as they heard the shepherd’s hymn.
His sheep knew his voice.
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