Story of Keshen

1

There was a shepherd who lived in a hill long ago. He tended to a flock of almost a hundred sheep, each of whom were as content as the other. One day, a big gray wolf came by the flock and spoke to them. His breath smelled of blood and rot, but his voice was soothing.

“Your shepherd, you know, kills you for your meat.”

The sheep looked at each other, but none were convinced. “Why should we believe you? You take our siblings in the night and eat us!”

“No, no, you misunderstand,” the wolf replied, his voice still soft and gentle. “It is your shepherd who kills you in the night. Where do you think his clothes come from? What do you think he eats?” He tilted his head. “I’m just asking questions.”

The sheep murmured among each other. The next day, the shepherd came to give them food. He knew they enjoyed carrots, which the shepherd gave them. However, when one ewe was led away from the flock, the rest were convinced of what the wolf had told them. A few charged the shepherd leading their sister away, an act that was met with beatings and shoves from the man. That night, the wolf returned and saw their pain and anguish.

“What did I tell you? He is dangerous. Only us wolves can protect you.”

The sheep agreed and the wolf let them out of their pen. The ewe who had been taken away before was still with them, however, though her coat was smaller than before. Not all of them left, but most did. “Follow me,” the wolf told them, trotting away from the shepherd’s home into the forest nearby. The sheep followed.

Along the way, they were attacked by another wolf, this one with a patchy brown and white coat. The gray wolf defended them from this attacker and his horde, further convincing the sheep of his benevolence. Eventually they arrived at a cave, where the gray wolf was met by another. The sheep were left to rest in the clearing around the cave, with a few rams joining the wolves inside.

The next day, the sheep woke up and saw that one of their own was missing. They asked the wolves what had happened to their brother, and the wolves told them “the shepherd must have found you and taken your brother back to his house! I told you he was dangerous!”

The sheep remained scared, but the rams who had slept among the wolves the night before eased their anxiety. “Do not be scared,” one assured them. “The wolves are here to protect us. As long as we stay with them, we’ll be safe from the shepherd.”

The other sheep were convinced, though they smelled something foul in this ram’s breath. The following night, they were woken by another sheep bleating in fear. They woke up to see the brown wolf from before attacking their herd, and aroused the wolves. The wolves snarled and gnashed their teeth, but would not attack the intruder. Still, the wolf fled a distance before disappearing into the trees.

“We told you,” the rams and the wolves said in triumph. “Stay with us and we will protect you. Tomorrow we will attack the shepherd for sending this dog to attack us!”

The sheep cheered, and the wolves left the next day with a number of the rams. They returned with blood on their maws and horns. What disturbed the flock was the sight of wool and blood in the mouths of even the rams, but their fears were eased a little by the wolves saying “the sheep we killed were with the shepherd. They had to die for your safety.”

Still, that evening, one lamb spoke to the flock. “I don’t trust the wolves. They killed even our own fellow sheep. Besides, the ewe who was taken before we left wasn’t killed, she was only sheared.”

This caused a commotion that attracted the rams. “How could you say something so dangerous to our flock?” he asked. “The wolves protect us while the shepherd killed us for our meat!”

The lamb was sent out of the clearing, but was joined the following night by another. This one was ejected from the flock for the same reason, with the wolves adding “if any of you have similar opinions, we will not protect you from what is out there. In fact, if we find you in the forest alone, we will not hesitate to eat you.”

That night, the rejected lambs spotted the brown wolf stalking through the forest toward the flock. They watched him snatch a sheep from the flock, but the flock did nothing, and the wolves did not protect them. Instead, they saw the gray wolf, the rams and the wolf’s pack leave the cave later that night and track down the brown wolf. There the two lambs watched the wolves and rams feast on their kidnapped sibling.

They rushed back to the flock and tried to tell the flock what they saw.

“You just want us back in the hands of the evil shepherd!” one responded.

“The wolves are here to protect us, not harm us,” said another.

“What about their threat?” the lambs asked.

“That was for sheep like you who want us to leave the safety the wolves provide.”

“Please,” the lambs said, “keep watch. Even the rams were there to eat.”

Their words, while largely ignored, unsettled the sheep. After all, they could smell the rams’ foul breaths and see the blood on their coats. Maybe the lambs were right, but they asked themselves “What can we do about it? We’re just sheep!”

The lambs wandered the forest in search of an answer. Eventually, they found a village full of people who were half animal and half human, each of whom they saw eating carrots and vegetables and not a single slice of meat. They returned to the flock.

“We have found a village not far from here, full of villagers who will treat us kindly,” they called.

“But what about the shepherd?” asked the flock. “He killed us for our meat!”

“That is true,” growled the wolves. “And if you go to this village, not only will the villagers eat you, you will suffer our wrath too.”

The rams added “plus, you will betray what it means to be a sheep! We are animals, not people. We should remain with the wolves.”

“But the wolves eat us too,” cried the lambs. “Can’t you see?”

“No they don’t,” the rams said. “And even if they do, those are wild wolves. These wolves are civilized and do not eat us.”

The lambs left, but did not despair. Instead they went to the village and pleaded with the villagers to help. The villagers seemed skeptical at first. After all, why should they go and risk getting attacked by wolves, especially if the sheep did not want to be helped? But they were convinced. They agreed with the lambs that the sheep were in danger, and must be helped. So, they set off together to find the wolves’ cave.

The battle was quick and the sheep were freed. Some stayed behind at the cave, but in their rage, the surviving wolves slaughtered them. Even the loyal rams were killed and eaten, but most of the flock was safe. They arrived at the village, which built tall fences around its homes to keep the sheep and other animals safe, and they were all happy.

2

Listen here, child, as the last one who did not pay attention suffered the same fate as the man I speak of. Once he lived with his people. He was out collecting wood one day to help his family build their house. While in the forest, however, he came across an angel, who warned him of danger. The angel spoke of horrid beast-men who wandered the woods in search of people to kill and eat. This man, however, was not scared. He dismissed the angel and continued to collect his wood.

As time passed, he began to feel something watching him. He would look around, but nothing could be seen, so he continued. Finally, he saw something: a human with the legs and ears of a rabbit. He tried to follow the creature, but it was too quick. It led him across a maze of collapsed walls dug into the ground, where he saw wisps of smoke and steam glowering at him with rage.

Across the maze, the rabbit-man looked at him with gleeful malice as he began to feel ill and faint. His eyes dimmed and his voice muted as he spasmed on the ground and shrieked. He was found later with his eyes clawed out and animalistic behaviors having changed him into a beast.

Listen here, child, for if you follow the beast-men into the forest they will make you like them!

3

In Ibrosha, when our people languished under the rule of a wicked tyrant, one man, a shepherd named Badara, rallied the people around him against the rulers. Within four weeks his rebellion succeeded and he overthrew their lords, taking their place as leader of their tribe. After the rebellion’s success, Badara had his followers bring forward three of the tyrant’s advisors.

The first was his master of war, who pleaded with the new lord for his life. “Please, lord,” he said. “I led our people to victory time and time again! Without me, you would be suffering under the thumb of tyrants!”

Badara responded “Our people did not need victory, we needed peace. It was because of you that we did suffer under the rule of a tyrant.” Badara then sentenced the advisor to death before he saw the next one.

This one was the tyrant’s master of construction, who also pleaded for his life. “Please, lord,” he said. “I built grand palaces for the people and allowed you to live in prosperity! Without me, you would be living in mud huts and chewing on straw!”

Badara responded “Our people did not need grand palaces built according to the designs of the tyrant. Even then, your palaces were confined to the cities, while people in the fields and villages did live in mud huts and chewed on straw. Either way, a modest, well-built house that is made by the people for the people is more valuable than a grand palace one feels foreign in.” He then sent the advisor to his death.

The last advisor was the tyrant’s master of education, who again pleaded for his life. “Please, lord,” he said. “I taught your children how to advance in the world! Without me you would be mindless dogs thinking of nothing!”

Badara responded. “The tyrant used your position to sow fear into our people to keep us in line. You taught our children how to fear the tyrant and to fear each other. What we needed were people who cared for us and would teach us how to love and care for our communities, how to build and be ourselves.” And the lord sent the advisor to his death.

After this victory, Badara would then lead the Mitzian people into an age of peace and prosperity by hearing the voices of the people and leading accordingly.