The shepherd found a young wolf on the grassland and took it home, feeding it carefully with goat’s milk. The young wolf grew up day by day, and the shepherd looked at it with joy.
One day, the shepherd called the wolf to himself and said to him: “I am as kind to you as a mountain, I not only saved your life, but also raised you up. Look how majestic and strong you are now!”
“Yes. You are really a kind and good man!” The wolf said sincerely.
“So, in what way will you repay my kindness?” The shepherd said.
“I will listen to you for the rest of my life, and I will help you shepherd the sheep for the rest of my life and drive away the other animals that come to harm the flock for you.” The wolf said.
“Good!” The shepherd said with a happy flick of his shepherd’s whip, “Starting from today, you will go outside and steal back a sheep for me every day!”
“Huh? No! Respected master, I can’t do such an unethical thing!”
“Hmph, didn’t you just say you would be loyal to me?” The shepherd whipped the whip fiercely.
“This ……” The wolf was forced to obey the shepherd’s words and went outside every day to steal back a sheep for him.
The shepherd was greatly delighted. He took the sheep back from the wolf every day and, after skinning them, took them to the market to sell them. Looking at the increasing amount of gold coins in his money bag, the shepherd was still unsatisfied. He called the wolf to him once again and said, “From today on, you have to steal two sheep for me every day!”
The wolf just wanted to say something, but when he looked at the whip held high in the shepherd’s hand, he had to nod and agree.
So the shepherd was busy skinning and selling sheep meat all day and seldom cared for his flock.
One day, the shepherd had stomach trouble, so he ran to the open space next to the sheep pen to prepare for convenience when he suddenly found that only three sheep were left in his pen, and the pen was full of blood and wool. In great alarm, he was carrying his pants and found the wolf.
“Where are my sheep?” The shepherd shouted at the wolf in anger and frustration.
“All of them were sold by yourself.” The wolf said calmly.
“You bastard! I asked you to steal other people’s sheep!”
“At first I did, but as time went on, the other shepherds got defensive, and they patrolled outside the sheep pens with their shotguns. Do you think I would have put my life on the line for you? But do not take the sheep back; you will likewise use the whip to kill me, so …….”
“You ungrateful fellow, you bad man!” The shepherd held his pants with one hand and went to get the whip with the other, ready to beat the wolf to death.
The wolf understood the shepherd’s motive, so he aimed at the opportunity, pounced fiercely on the shepherd, and bit off the shepherd’s throat.
“Why …… do you …… want to …… harm me?” The shepherd asked the wolf brokenly before he broke his breath.
“It’s not me who killed you, it’s your own evil thoughts that killed you yourself!” After the wolf finished speaking, he turned around and walked away.
Once the seed of evil is planted in people’s hearts, it will soon take root and grow under the “nourishment” of lust. If you don’t curb it at this time, it will hurt others and eventually hurt yourself at the same time.
