Hmmm, is the little shepherd boy who cried Wolf! really the problem?
A little shepherd boy raised an alarm in the village. A pack of wolves is in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. So they built a fortified fence around the sheep. The sheep were frightened by the appearance of the fortified fence. The health of the sheep suffered because of their fright and the restrictions on their movement.
The pack of wolves arrived. Being adaptable by nature, they slipped through the rails in the fence. They recognized by instinct the sheep which were most weakened and preyed on them. The village leaders were dismayed but consoled themselves that they had done what was necessary.
A few months later, the little shepherd boy raised the alarm again. The pack of wolves is still in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. So they put extra railings in the fence and restricted the sheep to a small area of the field. The sheep were frightened by the appearance of the more fortified fence. The health of the sheep suffered because of their fright and the increased restrictions on their movement.
The pack of wolves arrived. Being adaptable by nature, they jumped over the fortified fence. They recognized by instinct the sheep which were most weakened and preyed on them. The village leaders were dismayed but consoled themselves that they had done what was necessary.
A few months later, the little shepherd boy raised the alarm again. The pack of wolves is still in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. So they made the fortified fence higher and restricted the sheep to the barnyard. The health of the sheep suffered because of their fright and their inability to leave the barnyard and graze.
The pack of wolves arrived. Being adaptable by nature, they dug under the fortified fence. They recognized by instinct the sheep which were most weakened and preyed on them. The village leaders were dismayed but consoled themselves that they had done what was necessary.
A few months later, the little shepherd boy raised the alarm again. The pack of wolves is still in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. So they put steel bars from the fence into the ground and kept the sheep restricted to their pen in the barn. The health of the sheep suffered because of their fright and their prolonged inability to leave the pen and graze.
The pack of wolves arrived. Being adaptable by nature, they pulled rails off the fence and chewed holes in the barn door. The confinement of the sheep in the pen made them easy prey. The village leaders were dismayed but consoled themselves that they had done what was necessary.
A few months later, the little shepherd boy raised the alarm again. The pack of wolves is still in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. So they put a motion activated laser beam across the front of the pen and kept the sheep restricted to their pen in the barn. The health of the sheep suffered further because of their fright and their prolonged inability to leave the pen and graze.
The pack of wolves arrived. Being adaptable by nature, they jumped over the laser beam. The confinement of the sheep in the pen made them easy prey once again. The village leaders were dismayed but consoled themselves that they had done what was necessary.
A few months later, the little shepherd boy raised the alarm again. The pack of wolves is still in the area! The sheep are in mortal danger!
The village leaders were very concerned. But a wise man from the north was in the village at the time and gave them counsel.
“There have always been wolves. There will always be wolves. You cannot make them cease to be. It is in the nature of wolves to adapt to their environment. It is prudent to take precautions but there is no silver bullet.
“Sheep have natural instincts to protect themselves from wolves. If you leave them be, their instincts will activate at the necessary time. They will scatter when the wolves arrive making themselves more difficult to catch. But if you frighten the sheep, their instincts will fail them. If you confine them to their pen, you make them much more vulnerable.
“The problem is not the little shepherd boy who cries Wolf! or the wolves themselves. The problem is you have made fear your God and you have disavowed the truth that sheep have survived for thousands of years by virtue of those natural abilities and instincts of which you have now deprived them.”
~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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Tags: Little Boy Who Cried Wolf · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Omnicron · pandemicNo Comments