e. "You don't know how to
really love yet, for you are selfish, and there is not room in a selfish
heart for the best kind of love."
That made the Lamb feel very badly. "I do love her dearly," he cried, as
he stood alone. "I believe I love her ever so much more than my sister
does."
That was where the little fellow was mistaken, for although his sister
did not talk so much about it, she showed her love in many other ways.
If she had been taken from her mother for even a few days, they could
never again have had such sweet and happy days together. Sheep look
much alike, and they cannot remember each other's faces very long. If a
Lamb is taken away from his mother for even a short time, they do not
know each other when they meet afterward. Perhaps this is one reason why
they keep together so much, for it would be sad indeed not to know one's
mother or one's child.
His sister never knew that he had wanted her taken away. She thought he
acted queerly sometimes, but she was so loving and unselfish herself
that she did not dream of his selfishness. Instead of putting the idea
out of his woolly little head, as he could have done by thinking more of
other things, the brother let himself think of it more and more. That
made him impatient with even his mother, and he often answered her quite
crossly. Sometimes, when she spoke to him, he did not answer at all, and
that was just as bad.
His mother would sigh and say to herself, "My child is not a comfort to
me after all, yet when I looked for the first time into his dear little
face, I thought that as long as I had him beside me I should always be
happy."
One night, when the weather was fair and warm, the farmer drove all the
Sheep and Lambs into the Sheep-shed. They had been lying out under the
beautiful blue sky at night, and they did not like this nearly so well.
They did not understand it either, so they were frightened and
bewildered, and bleated often to each other, "What is this for? What is
this for?"
The Lambs did not mind it so much, for they were not warmly dressed, but
the Sheep, whose wool had been growing for a year and was long and
heavy, found it very close and uncomfortable. They did not know that the
farmer had a reason for keeping them dry that night while the heavy dew
was falling outside. The same thing was done every year, but they could
not remember so long as that, and having a poor memory is always hard.
"Stay close to me, children," said th
|