The Lonely Sheep

Herbert The Lonely Sheep

Somewhere in the rolling hills of England there was a farm. This farm only had one type of animal living on it, sheep. Lots, and LOTS of sheep. 

The sheep had lots of space to play and roam in their beautiful flowered pasture and were always happy. But up high on a hill covered in lovely little wild flowers and a single shady oak was a sheep named Herbert. 

Herbert lived atop this small hill with his mother Hilda, but Herbert and his mom were different from other sheep. Herbert and his mum were special. They were purple! 

Hilda always told Herbert that he was special and she loved and cared for him, but Herbert was always lonely no matter what his mum said. 

He wanted to friend the white sheep at the bottom of the hill, but whenever he tried they only made fun of him and said things like, "We can't be friends with someone of such vulgar color!" or "Who would want to be friends with a purple sheep! You're just weird!"

So Herbert stayed on top his hill with his mum Hilda and never talked to the other sheep. 

"Momma," he would ask, "how come the other sheep don't like me?"

Hilda would look at her son with tender eyes and say, "Because you're special Buba. And sometimes when other can't have something gorgeous they decide to destroy it instead."

She nuzzled Hebert and whispered in his ear, "But I love you no matter what color you are, you could be the brightest green or the deepest blue, and you'd still be my little Herbert."

Herbert loved his mum and always listened to her wise words, but he couldn't help but feel lonely all the way up on this hill.

One day, while Herbert was munching some grass with his mother, a strange creature came into the pasture. He had seen this creature many times before, but it had never come into the pen and simply stayed there before. 

The creature pointed with one of its talons to Hilda and the grabbed a strange object. It was like string, but thick and tasseled at the ends. It looped round like a snake and weaved like a birds nest.

The creature came near with the object in hand. It spoke softly to him, and it was soothing, though he had no idea what the creature was saying. 

The creature took the strange object and wrapped it around Hilda's woolly neck. 

"Momma? Where are they taking you?" Herbert cried out, puzzled and confused by the strange actions at hand.

"Don't be afraid Buba," Hilda called to her little one, "Go up to the hill. I'll come back soon."

Herbert Waited on the hill for three full days and nights, but Hilda, his mother and only friend, never came back. Herbert wept on the hill, realizing that he would be alone forever and never get the chance to see his mum again.

Months past, and Herbert had gotten used to the teasing and the jokes the white sheep made about him. He no longer cared about them.  He no longer cared about much anything really. He stayed on his hill, and munched grass while watching the sky. 

In spring, birds would come and land on his tree and he would talk to him, but they would only sing pretty little songs in reply and then fly away. Herbert wished he could fly away. Out of this pasture and go on a search for more sheep just like him. 

Special. His mum's voice echoed in his head. Yes, if he could fly he would certainly go find his mum and bring her to the place where the colored sheep roamed. But Herbert didn't have wings, he was to forever stay here. Sitting alone, underneath the great big oak tree with the little wild flowers and the green grass.

Herbert was thinking about how much he longed for friends when suddenly, a commotion broke out among'st the white sheep below. 

Curious, he stood up and wandered down the hillside to take a closer look. he parted his way through the mass of white wool to see what they were staring at. 

As he parted his way through he heard others bleat excitedly, "A new sheep? Oh how long has it been! A new friend!"

Upon hearing this Herbert quickened his pace until he finally reached the spot all of the sheep were circling round. 

There, in the middle of the circle of white sheep, was a small lamb with yellow wool fluffed up around her. Herbert could already hear sheep on the other side of the ring teasing her for being yellow. He walked straight up to the little lamb and smiled a kind sheep smile.

She looked up at him, her eye bright and merry. "Hello there!," She baaed, "I'm Daisy, who are you?"

Herbert looked at her fluffy yellow wool and then back to her and bleated, "My name...my names Herbert. Nice to meet you Daisy."

Daisy smiled up at Herbert and for the first time ever Herbert didn't feel alone. He had found someone like him! Someone different. 

The white sheep laughed and jeered at them. Herbert stayed quite and lowered his head, but Daisy wouldn't have it. 

"I bet you're all jelous!" She yelled back at them, "You could only wish to have such colorful wool but you're forever stuck in that plain white. Come on Mr. Herbert! Let's go play."

The white sheep stood still in shock while Daisy lead a very happy Herbert away from the crowd.

"Thanks," Herbert baaed once they had gotten away.

"My pleasure!" Daisy answered back, "You're wool is so pretty and no sheep should be treated so coarsely. Now...do you know a good spot to play?"

Herbert smiled and nodded. "I know the perfect place."

He lead Daisy up to his hill and there they played tag and hide n' seek and lots of other games together. Herbert was happy for the first time in a while, and he wasn't alone. He finally found a friend.

From that day on Herbert and Daisy were best friends and were never seen without each other. Daisy stood up for Herbert when the white sheep picked on them for being different, and eventually they stopped teasing all together. And Herbert was always there when Daisy was feeling down or needed someone. He would play with her whenever she wanted and had lots of fun doing it.

They grew up on the farm's pasture together, up on the hill with the one oak tree where the wild flowers blossomed. They loved each other for who they were, not what they looked like and never left each other, no matter how bad things got.

So when you're alone, little lamb, just remember that someone will be there,  waiting, longing for you to come along and say hello. All you have to do is find them.