Lost Little Lamby

While outside today, I told the children the following story:

Once upon a time there was a shepherd, a Good Shepherd, who took good care of his sheep. He led them to the greenest grass, the freshest water, through patches of the sweetest clover. When he would cry, “KieeeeYiiieeee KieeYieeYieeeee!!!” his sheep would spring up from wherever they were and run to answer his call. He carried a sling and a pouch with stones just in case a wolf or a bear or a ferocious lion would come, wanting to devour one of his helpless sheep. Each morning as he brought the sheep from the fold, he would count them: “1, 2, 3…97, 98, 99, 100.” When he reached the high pastures where the grass was greenest, he would count them: “…97, 98, 99, 100.” He would count them before he ate his lunch of bread and cheese and after he would count them after his lunch. He would count his sheep before he led them down the mountain and again as they filed into the fold at night. Then, he himself would lie down as the gate so that no enemy could get his precious sheep.

One evening as the sun was setting he was readying to lead his sheep down the mountain. “1, 2, 3, 4...97, 98, 99…” He started again, “1, 2, 3…97, 98, 99…” And once more, “…97, 98 ,99…” One was missing!

Now, what do you think he did? Did he think, “O well! I have the other 99. It is getting late. That naughty sheep shouldn’t have wandered off! Too bad for him! I’ll just go home, now, without him!”

(Both Abbi and Phin answered yes with a sad, resigned nod of the head.)

But, no! He didn’t! He left his 99 sheep and searched and searched for his lost lamby! He looked behind rocks and bushes, over the edges of cliffs, by the stream… everywhere he could! He looked and looked and listened and listened until, finally, he heard the soft bleating of a lost little lamby! Then, he went to it and picked it up and carried it back to the others, rejoicing!

What did this story lead to? Well, a lengthly time of playing Shepherd (or Shepherdess) and the lost little lamby. Either Abbi or Phin would take the curved stick that one of them found on some previous venture into the woods and be the Shepherd and the other would scamper away in search of a good place to hide. Then, the Shepherd would rise up and call to the lost little lamby. Well, Abbi would call.

Phin, when he was the Shepherd, would walk a few steps… then pause, looking around with his hunter eyes, searching, searching for his little sheep. Then he would run a few steps toward the gentle “baahh!” coming from Abbi’s hiding place. Abbi sure played the part of a weakened, scared little lamby.

When Abbi was the Shepherdess, she would immediately call out with her shrill, clear voice, “KieeeeYiiieeee KieeYieeYieeeee!!!” (but about 3 octaves higher than what I had done). She didn’t have to wait long to hear a VERY LOUD, “BBAAAHH!!!” coming from wherever Phin was hiding. Then she would rush over, face filled with care, ready to comfort the once-lost-now-found lamb.

I like this form of hide-and-seek - "Lost Little Lamby"! For some reason, the kids ‘get the point’ better than every time we’ve tried to play real hide-and-seek. They actually stay hidden until they are found!

How fun!