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 Once there was a young lamb that was born in winter and was loved and cared for by his Shepherd. This young lamb has one great and unique coat. He often showed his coat and became very proud of it. This lamb was named “Ash.”
One Saturday afternoon, the Shepherd was talking to his wife about the coming winter, “which of the sheep should I shave this fall?” His wife looked outside and saw Ash skipping around the field. “How about that lamb? You always told me his coat is the softest,” said his wife. The Shepherd knew how much Ash’s coat was as soft as cotton but he also knew how much Ash loved his coat. Yet he said to himself, “it is time to use his coat for a better purpose.”
That night, the Shepherd went out into the field and looked for Ash. He went to the east and found Ash skipping back and forth by the log that was supposed to be a fence.
“Ash,” he said, “I have good news for you!” Ash immediately stopped and went to his Shepherd. “By the end of the week, I will shave your coat and use it for clothing.” Ash then knew his precious coat would be taken away from him, so he ran to the barn and hid himself from the Shepherd.
The next day, Ash woke up and heard his fellow farm animals talking. “Did you hear?” said the cow, “Ash’s coat will be shaved by the end of this week.”
“Is it true?” said the goose, “poor Ash, he was always so afraid that if his coat got shaved, it might no longer be as soft as it used to be.” Ash then went out and yelled, “That will never happen!” And so he left the barn and went into the woods.
That night, the Shepherd was shocked and at that very moment, he also left and went into the woods.
It was raining and it was dark; it was cold and the lightning was as scary. It looked as if it were a lion that was hungry and ready to eat anything that would come in its way. Both Ash and the Shepherd were cold and both got lost.
The rain became a storm as the lightning became thunder. The woods became dense and Ash came to wander into the belly of the forest.
“Why did you leave?” said a voice to the lamb “isn’t this too much of an adventure for a lamb like you?”
“I am not afraid of any kind of creature this forest has!” said the lamb who was a bit paranoid.
“Are you not afraid that this part of the forest might be?” whispered the voice to the lamb… “Be what?” asked the lamb. “Your worst nightmare!!!” yelled the voice as it turned out to be a wild cat. This cat was as fierce as it can be, its teeth were ready to rip off the lamb’s neck and strike it with its sharp and pointy claws. It felt like it will be his last breath every time he breathed. The poor lamb realized that if he had just obeyed his Shepherd at first, he would have been safe and sound that stormy night.
By a stream not too far away from Ash, was a steep road. Inside his head were plans to escape; he thought of running towards the road so and may live, but he also knew that a car might hit him. It was too risky. So he also found a mountain path, it was denser and something could be living there, he wasn’t sure. He then looked back and saw a hole that he might fit in, but could he outrun the wild cat towards it? He then looked at the wild cat and saw behind it, a steep, rocky edge.
“Any last words?” asked the cat while its saliva dripped down its mouth. Ash knew what he had to do. In the last minute before he became cat food, he charged at the cat and pushed it towards the edge. Ash looked forward and saw the cat lying in the ground.
He then continued to wander in the dense forest until he got even more lost.
The next day, Ash woke up soaking wet under a pine tree. He then realized how far away he was from the barn. He said, “I can do this alone! Even without my Shepherd to guide me!” Suddenly… the wild cat appeared and chased him down the cliff and he ended up rolling down the cliff where he became unconscious. There he dreamt about seeing his Shepherd still looking for him with his heart broken… and his dream faded away. He woke up feeling so guilty of how he has made his Shepherd feels. He even felt like he was the worst sheep ever born.
After 30 minutes or so, he became as exhausted as ever. As he was about to lie down, he suddenly heard a sound, a voice calling out. “Here boy!” it said aloud. “Could it be the Shepherd?” he thought. He walked as far as he could to get closer to where the voice came from; after a couple more steps, he found a barn.
“Good boy!” said a farmer to his dog. Ash came closer to the farmer, and it felt like home for the lost lamb.
After a couple of months, fall became winter and winter became spring. Then it was fall once again.
Ash became a sheep, which was the most fed among the rest. He then thought, “maybe he likes me the most?” His fluffy, soft fur made a lot of the other sheep very jealous.
One Monday afternoon, the farmer came to Ash while he was holding a leash. “Come here my fatty,” he said, “I have good news! I’m going to sell you in the market to become one tasty Lamb Chops!”
Ash couldn’t believe he will become food! All the time he thought he was the favorite, but then he realized that he was only fed double because he was going to be food.
That afternoon, Ash and the farmer were standing to wait for a customer. Ash was so fat that he fell down to the ground and he remembered how much his Shepherd loved him.
He closed his eyes and saw himself lying on the plate of a person who doesn’t appreciate what he can truly give , a person who will use his fur for clothing to help other people to be warm this coming winter… not a person who will use his flesh for food. He called out, “My Shepherd! I am sorry! I am sorry that I disobeyed you and left, here I am now.” He then felt like he was about to become food right that very moment.
He then heard a voice saying, “That is my sheep. I have been looking for him for months. I am taking him home.” Ash then opened his eyes and saw his Shepherd. The Shepherd was wearing the same clothes he wore when Ash left the barn. “Did he not go back when I left? Was he looking for me all this time?” said the confused sheep.
“How are you sure this was your lamb? As you can see, he is now a sheep. He is my sheep!” said the farmer.
“He is mine, because I know every sheep and lamb that I breed, I know them by name and I know them by face,” replied the Shepherd.
“Prove to me this sheep is yours. I will let go of him and if he comes to you then he is yours,” said the farmer holding the leash with his grip. Then as the farmer had said, he let go.
The Shepherd leaned down to Ash and looked at his eyes, “Ash, I am your Shepherd, come to me and we shall go home.”
Ash knew from his heart that this is his Shepherd. He also knew that he has been looking for him for a long time. “Why?” said the confused sheep, “why didn’t you stay with the others? Instead, you left looking for me.”
The Shepherd then said to him, “Because they were fine and you were not.” He then stood up and continued, “Before, you were lost, but now you are found. Come.”
Ash then stepped forward and went towards his Shepherd, and they went home.
+_The End_+
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nice story erika...badz..haha
