____________________

The young shepherd boy stood at the wooden fence, his arms leaning over the wobbly bars of oak. As he stood, the radiance of the sun began to grace the fresh earth, rising above the hillside and letting down waves of warmth. He seemed rather impatient, anxiously stepping about and adjusting his standing position, shifting back and forth. He heaved an agitated sigh, and turned his head toward the small pasture where, as routinely as ever, the sheep grazed quietly. They did so that morning, and every morning.

These sheep belonged to the shepherd boy’s father. And his father loved them as though they were his sons. There was, without doubt, no thing that suggested otherwise. Day and night he tended to them, seeing that they were well fed, groomed, and in good health. By morning would the father rise and wake his son, and together they would gather the sheep, each accounted for, and head for the grassy hills beyond the pasture. There, the sheep would graze for hours upon hours, filling themselves with the sweet grasses. Then, the sheep were content, and the father was happy.

After some time, the shepherd boy turned away from the sheep and looked toward the house where, with his staff in one hand and a worn leather whip in the other, the father stepped through the door and out onto the dusty earth.

As though in some great hurry, the shepherd boy unlatched the gate and whistled to the sheep. Upon signal, the fluffy white animals left their spots in the pasture and walked toward the open gate.

The morning was still brisk, new, and alive when they reached the tumbling hills beyond the pasture. Untouched, it seemed far too perfect to let such common animals trample the dewy mounds of green, to let them flatten the upright blades. It was, after all, the finest grass nearby, and the father would not see that his sheep deserved any less. For he loved them dearly.

And then, after finding comfort lying on the damp grass, the father suddenly rose with haste and looked out among his sheep. "What is it, father?" the shepherd boy asked, and directed his eyes to where his father looked. "One is missing; I must go and find him," was all he said, and he quickly left his son’s side. "But, father, wait! I cannot watch after all these sheep alone. There are ninety-nine remaining without the one lost. It is but a single sheep." But the father did not second guess himself. No, he handed the leather whip to his son and said, "I have a hundred sheep, this is true, but is one of less importance than another? Certainly not. I shall go and find him, and bring him back." So he did, and there was great fear in his eyes.

After much searching, and frantic running about, the father came upon his missing sheep. With compassion, he looked upon the young animal. She had stumbled, and was caught in the cleft of a rock, unable to move or shake her way free. Setting down his staff, the father climbed into the small valley, and there, reached to liberate his young sheep of the rock’s firm grasp. Carrying her safely in the refuge of his arms, the father climbed up the rock and onto the hills again, where he walked slowly, holding his sheep close to him.

When he returned, there was joy in his eyes. "Come, my son," he said when he reached the shepherd boy, "we must return home and gather our neighbors and friends. They shall rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!"

____________________