Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who lived in the mountains.
In this mountain, there was a sheepfold.
In this sheepfold, there were stalls.
In each of these stalls, there was a sheep.
The shepherd led his animals every day to the pastures. The sheep followed their guide, stopped to graze and left briskly until the next mountain pasture. Bleating with one voice, the herd advanced as a single being, in a procession very beautiful to see. In this long white ribbon, the villagers below could distinguish a dark point. This dark spot was a different sheep from the others. A black sheep.
How did this charcoal sheep get there? It was a mystery. During a thunderstorm, a sheep had fallen into a ravine. The next day at dawn, in the stall left free, a spacious and bright stall, near the door, the shepherd had found this strange black sheep. Having already lost three sheep, he had accepted the newcomer without asking questions.
For the first few days, the black sheep had ignored the biased looks of animals and men. When the other sheep pushed him hard or bit him to try to tear off his dark fleece, he did not reply. He followed them quietly, eating whatever was left to him, without complaining, so as not to stir up hostilities.
The shepherd, annoyed by the gossip of the villagers, annoyed by this spot in his flock, decided to get rid of the intruder. He dragged the intruder into a small wood and tied it securely to a tree. The night was falling. The wolves were only going to take a bite of it.
The black sheep took this new test with philosophy. Men always reacted like this: they tried to eliminate the one they believed to be the weak link. He gnawed on the rope until it broke and easily found the way to the fold.
When he arrived in the building, his comfortable stall was already occupied: a sheep with the golden eye had settled there. It was the shepherd's favourite sheep. A lively, skilful and sly animal that it was useless to fight against. The black sheep bowed its head and joined the free stall: a wet box in the darkest corner.
From that day, the animals tolerated the presence of the black sheep. We even end up recognizing him some qualities: insight, listening, discretion. The shepherd decided to keep it. By overcoming the ordeal, the beauty had proved its worth. The villagers did not understand this choice: this sheep was of bad omen, misfortune was about to befall the herd.
As if to confirm this prediction, the beasts gradually became less docile. Some moved away from the path and were reluctant to follow the route traced by the shepherd. Others were fighting. Where did this rebellion come from? The shepherd consulted his usual adviser, the sheep with the golden eye, who confirmed his fears: since the arrival of the black sheep, the atmosphere had continued to deteriorate.
The shepherd wanted to be clear about it. The black sheep grazed aside when he saw the man approaching to question him:
- Why do my animals question my authority? Are you responsible for this agitation?
The black sheep sighed. Now things started all over again and again ... He defended himself:
- It's not my fault! When will they finally stop using me as a scapegoat? Be honest and recognize it: the tensions already existed before my arrival. I suffer them like you. We all go through them.
- You lie! cried the shepherd. My sheep have always obeyed me so far. The atmosphere was good before your arrival. You're the culprit, I'm sure!
The black sheep rolled his eyes. Were the men so blind?
- Shepherd, listen to me: your flock is rotten from the inside. The worm is in the fruit. You ignore it, it seems, but there is a wolf in the sheepfold. A discreet, unsuspected wolf, perfectly concealed. An animal that looks so much like a sheep that you got caught in. An unscrupulous predator who takes advantage of your trust pulls the strings and eliminates the weakest among us. Haven't you already lost three sheep?
The shepherd swept these words with the back of his hand. A wolf in sheep's clothing? Or a sheep that has become a carnivore? A mutant? How about a zombie? This black sheep was delirious!
In the days that followed, however, doubt settled in the mind of the shepherd, like an insidious rule. He became suspicious, spoke less, watched his animals. One of them was always in the lead, bleating loudly to ask for more fodder in her stall, more fatty grass, a less tiring route ... Could it be she, the conspirator?
At nightfall, the man slipped into the fold and walked around the stalls. The animals slept peacefully. When he reached the last box, near the door, a burst of light caught the eye of the shepherd. He leaned over the sheep with the golden eye. From the half-opened mouth of the animal pointed small sharp fangs. It was he, the traitor! His favourite, his advisor! Trembling with rage and fear, the shepherd grabbed a fork along the wall and chased the animal away. We never see him again.
Peace returned to the flock. When the shepherd fixed the route, the sheep followed him, calm and docile. Everyone grazed on the grass they encountered, without dispute or opposition. The black sheep found his comfortable stall near the door. He finally became a full member of the group, an individual appreciated for his qualities and originality.
The shepherd set out to find a new beast to complete his flock. Black sheep or white sheep? It didn't matter to him. Only those who trouble sharp teeth!
No comments:
Post a Comment