Fables

The shepherd

On the day of the full moon, the badger left his den. He laboriously made his way up a grassy hill, and waited for his old friend the collie.

The moon travelled through the skies, the sun dawned from its slumber; but still she did not come. The badger sighed and walked home to his den.

The next day a small, angular canine head peeked from the entrance of his den: her pink tongue lolled out her mouth, her ribs heaved with her fast breathing, and her lively eyes twitched nervously.

"I am so sorry," she called, "the jackal was on the prowl today and I had to herd the sheep back the pen. I lost sense of time, and I could not come to our meeting!"

The bader smiled and gently bumped his nose to hers.

"It's all right, I know you are busy. Go back to your sheep, I will see you come the next full moon."

Relief washed over the lithe dog's features. She licked his head and in a moment ran off, back to her farm and her work and her new life.

Then came the next full moon. The badger once again crawled atop the hill, and again the night passed with no trace of the shepherd.

Again he returned to his den, and again she was at his door the next morning.

"I am so very sorry," she cried out, "the sheepman lost his way and we were trapped in a deserted valley; I had to help him find his way. I lost sense of time, and could not come to our meeting!"

The badger nodded and touched his nose to hers.

"It's all right, I know you are busy. Go back to your sheep, and I will see you come next full moon."

The full moon came once more, and once more the collie did not show up but appeared, panting, at the badger's door the following morning.

"I am so sorry," she whimpered, trembling with shame; "there was a terrible storm and I had to stay and comfort our lambs, for they are mighty scared of thunder and howling winds. I lost sense of time, and could not come to our meeting!"

The badger hummed. "I forgive you, dear shepherd. Go back to your sheep, and I will see you come next full moon."

This time however the collie did not look happy with the badger's quick forgiveness.

"Why are you not angry?" She asked in disbelief.

"I forget about you all the time and never come to visit! Why do you not reproach me?"

Her friend simply smiled.

"Come in my den. I need to tell you a story. I promise I shan't keep you from your sheep too long."

The collie awkwardly crawled through the narrow tunnels until they reached the spacious room of her friend's little underground house. He prepared some tea in a wide mug and set in on the table, and she lapped at it while he sat opposite her at the cozy wooden table.

"There was once a small, angry little creature," he begun, "who'd grown up being jeered by young wolves and trampled by his mother. There was once a small, confused creature who'd never been taught how to keep pace with a herd or live among its members."

The collie tilted her small head, the soft tip of her fluffy ears perking up with attention.

"The creature oft fell behind. The sheepmen did not care if it got lost, or if it wounded itself trying to cross a perilous pass alone, or whether it got along with the rest of the sheep. No, the sheepman cared not for the creature, but a young puppy did."

The striped creature took a sip of his own mug and grinned impishly.

"I remember her teeth, gently lifting me by the scruff when a river was too deep to pass; I remember she let me grab her tail when she guided me through narrow mountain passes. I remember seeing her running down the hills, like a white comet hurtling from a green sky, to come fetch me when the herd had left me far behind. I remember the warmth of your fur, when the sheep wouldn't cuddle up to me during cold winter nights."

The collie's ears lay flat against her skull, and she was looking deep into the mug. Her old friend said gently: "I remember when you stayed with me as my mother died, too. For that, for everything, I will always be grateful. For that, for all of it, I will always love you."

He made his way around the table, and gave her a hug.

"I know you are busy, and that we now live far apart. I know it is not easy, and I forgive you for making mistakes, as you helped me all those years ago. I know your heart is true, even if you miss our meetings."

"Go back to your sheep now, and I will see you come next full moon."