The Sheep Fears for Its Life, the Butcher for His Profit
Once upon a time, in a cheerful town where sweet-scented flowers bloomed, lived an old woman. This woman was very fond of her comfort and possessed an ornate water pitcher that she looked after like her own eyes. The pitcher was embroidered with silver, brightly shining, and a very valuable object envied by everyone. Every day, the woman wiped this pitcher with silk fabrics, not letting a single speck of dust land on it. The townspeople had made a habit of watching her extreme obsession with astonishment and smiles.
On a hot summer afternoon, pitch-black and scary clouds suddenly covered the sky. A severe wind began to blow, and a great storm descended upon the town. The stream overflowed, and the surging waters swept away a poor lamb grazing in the meadow. The little lamb was struggling for life, shouting for help with all its strength to break free. Meanwhile, as the woman fled outside, she dropped her valuable ornate pitcher from her hand into the mud. While the poor animal fought for its life to avoid drowning in the waters, the woman cried out loudly.
"Oh dear, my shiny beautiful pitcher sank into the mud and is completely scratched!" she shouted. The shepherd who owned the lamb was jumping into the waves, trying hard to save his own life and the lamb. With great courage, the shepherd dived into the ice-cold waters and managed to pull his lamb to the shore. Everyone held their breath and cheered joyfully for the survival of the shepherd and the lamb. But the woman ran up to the villagers and was still talking about how expensive her scratched pitcher was.
The villagers became very angry at the woman for thinking only of her property while a living being was about to die. The old shepherd looked at the woman with his wet clothes and reminded her of what real values were. In life, the value of a soul can never be measured by any broken property or item. While the sheep struggles for its life, the butcher worries about its fat.