“The Sheep Will Spend Its Entire Life Fearing the Coyote, Only to be Eaten by the Shepherd.”
This Navajo proverb is a witty way of reminding us that sometimes, we spend so much time worrying about things that may never happen, that we forget to pay attention to the real dangers that are right in front of us. In this blog post, we’ll explore this quote with a little humor and two stories that help illustrate the point.
Story 1: The Sheep and the Coyote
Once upon a time, there was a flock of sheep who lived in a meadow surrounded by hills. The sheep were always worried about the coyote who lived in the hills and would come down to steal sheep from the flock. The sheep would huddle together at night and take turns keeping watch, constantly on the lookout for the coyote.
One day, a new sheep joined the flock. This sheep was different from the others. He wasn’t afraid of the coyote, and he even went out to graze on his own. The other sheep were shocked and warned him to be careful, but the new sheep just laughed and said, “What’s the worst that could happen? The coyote will only steal me. But I’ll have lived a full life, experiencing the beauty of the meadow and the hills.”
The other sheep thought the new sheep was crazy, but they admired his courage. The days went by, and the new sheep continued to graze and play on his own. Then, one day, the coyote appeared. The new sheep wasn’t scared. He stood his ground and even chased the coyote away. The other sheep were amazed and realized that they had spent their entire lives fearing the coyote when in reality, the coyote was just a wild animal who didn’t pose much of a threat.
Story 2: The Sheep and the Shepherd
There was a flock of sheep who lived in a pasture, protected by a wise and gentle shepherd. The sheep were happy and content, but they were also afraid of the shepherd. They thought he was going to sell them to the butcher one day. So, they would hide from him, and whenever he came near, they would run away.
The shepherd was sad. He loved his sheep and wanted them to trust him. He decided to show them that he was a friend and not a foe. So, he would bring them food and water, and he would pet them and talk to them. Slowly but surely, the sheep started to trust the shepherd. They realized that he was there to protect them, not to hurt them.
One day, the sheep noticed that some of their friends were missing. They asked the shepherd where they had gone, and he said, “I took them to the butcher. They were sick, and I couldn’t save them.” The sheep were sad, but they also realized that the shepherd had only done what was best for their friends. From then on, the sheep trusted the shepherd completely and never feared him again.
In conclusion, the Navajo proverb “The Sheep Will Spend Its Entire Life Fearing the Coyote, Only to be Eaten by the Shepherder,” reminds us that sometimes, we spend too much time worrying about things that may never happen, and we forget to pay attention to the real dangers that are right in front of us. Just like the sheep in our stories, we should be cautious, but we shouldn’t be afraid.
So, we should trust those who are there to help us and not fear them.
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