A Fable for Modern Communities
Once upon a time, in a pleasant enclosed pasture, there lived a large flock of sheep. They were proud sheep. Educated sheep. Sheep who owned the pasture together and liked to say things like “We really should be more involved.”
One year, a ledger was brought before them.
The ledger was heavy.
The ledger was ugly.
The ledger showed that the fence had holes, the grain had vanished, and no one seemed able to explain where it went.
An Owl, who had examined the ledger carefully, cleared his throat and said:
“The numbers do not add up. The fence is broken. This is… not good.”
The sheep nodded gravely.
📖 The Reading of the Ledger
Some sheep skimmed the ledger.
Some sheep said they would read it later.
Most sheep decided it was “too long” and “a bit technical.”
Still, everyone agreed on one thing:
“This is concerning.”
They said it with the seriousness of sheep who felt they had done their duty simply by being concerned.
🐺 The Election of the Shepherds
Soon after, it was time to choose shepherds.
Now, the current shepherds had been in charge when the fence broke, when the grain disappeared, and when the ledger became… troubling. But they were familiar shepherds. They wore the same hats. They used the same phrases.
A few sheep suggested:
“Perhaps we should try different shepherds?”
This made the flock uncomfortable.
Different shepherds would require questions.
Questions might lead to conflict.
Conflict might disturb the peace of the pasture.
And peace, the sheep believed, was more important than fences.
So they reappointed the same shepherds.
🪵 The Fence Falls Further
Months passed.
The fence sagged more.
The grain grew scarcer.
The wolves, who had been watching quietly from the tree line, smiled.
When a lamb asked, “Why is this happening?”, an older sheep replied:
“Now is not the time to point fingers.”
When another sheep complained about hunger, the flock murmured:
“At least things feel stable.”
And when the ledger was mentioned again, the sheep sighed:
“Why are you always so negative?”
🧠 The Moral (Which the Sheep Ignored)
Eventually, the pasture grew poorer, the fence collapsed entirely, and the wolves wandered in without resistance.
The sheep were shocked.
“How could this happen?” they cried.
“Why didn’t someone stop it?”
From a distant branch, the Owl closed his book and said nothing.
He had already explained.
🪶 Moral of the Fable
If sheep re-elect the shepherds who broke the fence,
they should not be surprised when the wolves arrive.
Disclaimer: This post is satire and opinion. Read full disclaimer.
