The Well-Meaning Wolves
Once upon a time, beyond the lush green valleys, on the bank of a clear river that flowed with a roar, there lived a peaceful flock of sheep. In the dense forest neighboring this valley there resided two well-meaning wolves who worried about the harsh cold of winter. When the wolves saw the shorn sheep shivering, they sincerely feared that the sheep would perish from hunger and cold. "If we do not help these poor friends of ours, where does our compassion remain?" they thought to themselves. And so, with their intentions entirely full of goodness, they set out toward the sheepfold. Reaching the gate of the fold at midnight, the wolves called out to the sheep with a friendly smile.
"Dear neighbors, on hearing this freezing whistle of the wind, we felt that you were trembling inside," said the old wolf. The wise ram who was the leader of the flock approached with suspicion and answered, "We have our thick wool and our sheltering roof." But the wolves did not listen; they insisted on carrying them to the warm and secluded grove in the depths of the forest. "Your shepherd is exploiting you, whereas we want to set you free and wrap you up warmly," added the young wolf. The well-meaning wolves, paying no heed to the objections of the sheep, tore down the fences of the fold and drove the whole flock into the pitch-dark forest. On the steep rocks of the forest and among the bushes, the soft fleeces of the sheep began to tear and their feet began to bleed.
Believing that they were helping, the wolves pushed them still further inside, but the sheep who lost their way in the darkness tumbled down the cliffs. "Stop, we are only trying to protect you!" the wolves shouted helplessly after the setting sun. When the sun rose, the wolves, blinded by their zeal to do good, realized with horror the destruction they had created. This ignorant interference carried out in the name of compassion caused the peaceful flock to be scattered completely and left in misery. This generosity offered without understanding the nature and the needs of the sheep turned into the greatest catastrophe. The wolves, bowing their heads under the weight of their mistaken intentions, withdrew into the shadows of the deep forest. Good intentions joined with ignorance and imprudence sometimes do more harm than the most relentless enemy. In trying to mend the eyebrow, one puts out the eye.