Pero el Boy no acudió al llamado, por lo que sin atizar la hoguera para hacer el café, emprendió la búsqueda del querido perro, que ni con la ayuda de todos los perros logro encontrar y como ya se hacia el mediodía, regreso al campamento y el rebaño pastaba tranquilo en el prado.
Por lo demás el día transcurrió tranquilo y aunque no dejo de pensar en su Boy. Al anochecer preparó su cena y la de los perros para luego de comer, encender la pipa y contemplar las estrellas mientras disfrutaba su tabaco antes de dormir en la soledad de la pradera.
A la mañana siguiente al despertar se encontró con la misma escena del día anterior pero el círculo era más numeroso y estrecho, por lo que trato de espantar a las ovejas al tiempo que llamaba a los perros. Cuando solo un perro acudió al llamado sintió un escalofrío recorrer su espalda y ya con el único perro a su lado, preparó una buena jarra de café mientras pensaba que aunque no había depredadores en la pradera, algo estaba pasando y sin perros seria dificil manejar el rebaño, por que tan pronto como terminara el desayuno emprendería el regreso al rancho aun cuando faltaba más de un mes para concluir la temporada de pastoreo.
Recogido el campamento y con gran dificultad por contar con un solo perro, puso en marcha al rebaño, que se mostró reacio a moverse con la abundancia de pasto verde alrededor.
Finalmente estaban en marcha y a pesar de las dificultades ni siquiera eran las 10 de la mañana, por lo que se fue sintiendo más tranquilo el pastor, pensando que en pocos días llegaría al rancho donde repondría los perros perdidos y luego de una prolongada ducha dormiría en una cama.
El día tocaba a su fin y con el oscurecer los animales detuvieron la marcha y se dispusieron a dormir, es su naturaleza y no los movería nada. Con suerte en un par de días estarían al rancho.
Armó su campamento consistente en su bolsa de dormir y la pequeña fogata donde cocinar su cena y algo para el perro.
Como hombre sencillo de costumbres simples, comió y encendió la pipa para disponer a descansar, no sin antes echar un buen vistazo al rebaño y ordenar al perro que se echara a su lado.
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Amaneció y otra vez las ovejas formaban un círculo y en centro, la fogata que ya se apagaba y un saco vacío.
Fuente
He aquí, yo os envío como a ovejas en medio de lobos; sed, pues, prudentes como serpientes, y sencillos como palomas.
Mateo 10:16
Just like yesterday, the shepherd woke up with the first light of dawn and for the first time he did not have Boy, the most pampered of his dogs by his side, instead one of the sheep stared at him while a large number of sheep and some ram circled him at a distance. He had never in his life seen similar behavior in sheep, besides, where were the dogs?
He stood up nimbly and the sheep didn't move, neither did the ones that formed the circle. A glance around was enough for him to see that the rest of the herd was still sleeping, the dogs watching him from the perimeter as usual.
He whistled loudly and as the dogs came, the sheep dispersed to the rest of the flock and the one that was staring at him also left.
But the Boy did not respond to the call, so without stirring up the bonfire to make the coffee, he undertook the search for the beloved dog, which not even with the help of all the dogs could he find and as it was already noon, he returned to the camp and the herd grazed quietly in the meadow.
For the rest, the day passed quietly and although he did not stop thinking about his Boy. At dusk he prepared his dinner and that of the dogs so that after eating, he lit his pipe and gazed at the stars while he enjoyed his tobacco before sleeping in the solitude of the prairie.
The next morning when he woke up he found the same scene as the day before but the circle was more numerous and narrower, so he tried to scare the sheep while calling the dogs. When only one dog came to the call, he felt a shiver run down his spine and with the only dog by his side, he prepared a good pot of coffee while thinking that although there were no predators in the meadow, something was happening and without dogs it would be difficult to manage the flock, because as soon as breakfast was over he would start back to the ranch even though the grazing season was over a month away.
Packed up camp and with great difficulty having only one dog, he set off the herd, which was reluctant to move with the abundance of green grass around.
They were finally up and running and despite the difficulties it was not even 10 in the morning, so the shepherd felt calmer, thinking that in a few days he would arrive at the ranch where he would replace the lost dogs and after a long shower he would sleep in a bed.
The day was coming to an end and when it got dark the animals stopped walking and prepared to sleep, it is their nature and nothing would move them. Hopefully in a couple of days they would be at the ranch.
He set up his camp consisting of his sleeping bag and the small fire where he would cook his dinner and something for the dog.
As a simple man of simple habits, he ate and lit his pipe to rest, but not before taking a good look at the flock and ordering the dog to lie down beside him.
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He woke up and once again the sheep formed a circle and in the center, the campfire that was already extinguished and an empty sack.
Source
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:16
