Govia
Nobody cares about sheep except for those who use them. Yet, sheep are some of the gentlest creatures around. Man keeps sheep to make clothes to keep him warm in winter. And it is often that sheep is used to make a meal. You wonder how these sweet creatures ever ended up being so victimized by the general populace, because as far as I know, there has never been an account about man being victimized by sheep.
Dogs on the other hand, despite being ferocious beasts, have a special place amongst us humans. We feed them. We sometimes clothe them. Some of us, from time to time, sleep with them. Only a small set of people eat them. Yet, no matter how nice we treat them, they can still embarrass us by showing more affection to strangers. Not so, the sheep. Lead a sheep out to pasture, and it will always look at you with sheepish love.
No newspaper has ever printed a story with the headline: “Sheep bites Man”, but dogs have bitten the hands that feed them. How come then that sheep get so less affection from us than dogs? It is true that sheep have been mentioned more times in religion than dogs, but is that a cause to celebrate? The references to sheep have often been in the context of them being sacrificed, or being lead astray, or having a need for protection from a greater being higher than that of sheep.
Nobody says that sheep is man’s best friend, but we often say that about our frisky companions — dogs.
Dogs lick our faces. We clean up after them. Who regularly kisses sheep? Even sheep’s refuse must be recycled for other uses, say, to fertilize the grass. There is always an ulterior motive to our treatment of sheep. Not so much so with dogs.
Sheep often follow whoever is in the lead, even if that leader is another mindless sheep. Dogs often work with their masters, and sometimes the master is the dog. While working, dogs nip the heels of sheep to keep them in line. Sheep never nip the heels of dogs.
Sheep will never compete with the dominant creatures in the food chain. It is likely that when Santa gives out bonuses, sheep are the last to be considered, or are not given any at all. Sheep are always happy with the roles assigned to them. A sheep would be the sacrificial lamb. It would relegate itself to inconspicuousness.
Sheep are so polite they would invite everyone around them to a “Baa”. Nobody ever gets invited to a drink by a dog until it is seen by the dog as its equal. In fact, even if you are nice to a dog, it may still chase you out of its house, and warn you never to come back. Not the inglorious sheep. As stated, the sheep will literally give you the shirt off its back. It is that selfless.
Sheep have come to be so widely used, disrespected, and led astray, that on the days that they choose to fight back, people say that they are really wolves in sheep’s clothing.
March 13, 2009 at 12:04 pm
A friend of mine sent me a private e-mail and asked, “Are you a dog or a sheep?” I responded, “I am a wolf.”
June 9, 2010 at 7:17 pm
This is soo “spot on”. However, with Mr. Sander’s help ( he set up the website and online business) we are hoping to present our side to the public and gain a little bit mores respect.
Ramona, Head Sheep, http://www.sixteensheep.com