This isn't original with me but, even after 23 years, it still
seems quite timely. I received it from the original ARPA-net
newsgroup "Poly-Sci" on 16-Jan-1985.
The Tale of the Bad Shepherd
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Once upon a time, there was a rich shepherd, who had many sheep.
He pastured them by the river, and waxed fat on their produce.
But the wolves came and preyed upon the sheep.
Now the shepherd was cowardly, lazy, and bad. He could have
protected his sheep, by his own efforts or by those of his
hirelings, but he would not. He thought
"It is too dangerous for me to protect the sheep,
and too expensive to hire brave servants. Besides,
the wolves take only one or two sheep a day, and I
can stand the loss."
So he did nothing. Until, one day, a servant came to him,
and told him that he had seen a wolf, down in the valley,
badly wounded.
The shepherd went out to see this thing for himself, and, passing
a flock of his sheep, perceived an alarming thing. Some of the
sheep, despairing of other defence, had grown fangs, and claws,
and were sharpening them on the stones, and adopting a fierce
countenance. And even falling on the wolves, and driving them off.
At this, the bad shepherd was greatly agitated, and thought
"If the sheep defend themselves today against the wolves,
shall they not tomorrow defy even me and my herdsmen?
And then I shall not be able to treat them how I please,
or drive them where I will, or fleece them for my profit,
and grow fat on their backs"
So he called all his servants, and bade them scour the country, and,
were they to find any sheep with the means of defending itself, they
were to slay it at once. For he said
"The sheep are our prey, the wolves and I, and it is
against the established order of things, that they
should seek to defend themselves"
Date: Mon 14 Jan 85 21:43:04-EST
From: Robert Firth
Subject: the Tale of the Bad Shepherd
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Deni
Comments
Timely - very
It tells a LOT, and makes one think about things. Should one depend on others to defend you? Is there a way to defend onself without resorting to violence? Yes, sometimes. How about the example above... Shephard, Sheep & Wolves.
Wolves have spent a LONG time becomming Predators. Their bodies NEED meet now... Convincing them to eat vegitables... Not gunna happen, at least not any time soon. So, is there a way to handle the wolves, without using the Shephard's original solution (let him have a few sheep) or the Sheep's solution (war)? Maybe - Make it too hard for the wolf to get to the sheep - he'll go elsewhere. How, you may ask... The sheep can "learn" to stick together and not be separated. They are NOT small or week animals. The wolf tends to try and find the isolated sheep. In nature, the wolf tends to take out the weaker members of the herd, so when the numbers are ballanced - the wolf serves a useful purpose in making the rest of the herd stronger and at the same time eats.
Now, introduce the shephard...
Nah. He's a pain anyway.
Annette