The Shepherd Family’s Adventure – Read and Print

By Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2021

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Not so long ago, and not so far away, there was a family of shepherds living high in the mountains. They had a large flock of sheep, and every day members of that family took turns watching the sheep – to make sure that none of them were stolen by wolves, or wandered too far away from the rest of the flock.

One summer morning, while the oldest brother, Miguel, and the middle brother, Mateo, were watching the flock – Miguel counted the sheep, and discovered that one of the smallest lambs was missing.

“You stay here and watch the rest of the flock, Mateo,” said Miguel.  “And I’ll go and look for the missing lamb. She can’t have gone far. I’m sure I won’t be long.”

So Mateo nodded, and watched his big brother cross the meadow, and disappear around the side of the mountain – in the direction where the sheep often wandered.

Mateo waited, and waited, and waited for his brother to return. But though the sun got higher in the sky, Miguel did not return. “I hope something hasn’t happened to Miguel,” said Mateo. “I guess I’ll have to go and see if I can find him.”

But before Mateo left the sheep, he went and he found his oldest sister, Maria, and told her where he was going.

So, Maria came and looked after the family’s flock of sheep. She found a lovely spot in the shade of a great big boulder, a great big stone, and she sat and she waited for her two brothers to come back. She waited, and she waited, and she waited – but there was no sign of them. She even called their names – “Miguel, Mateo” – but all that came back was her own echo. “Oh dear,” said Maria. “I hope nothing bad has happened to them. Perhaps I should go and see if they need help.”

But before Maria left the flock, she went and got her sister Micaela.

And so it went. When Maria didn’t come back, Micaela went looking for her. When Micaela didn’t come home, her mother went searching. When the family’s mother didn’t return, their father went out. Meanwhile, the sun reached its highest point in the sky – and not one family member had returned. Even the family’s two sheep dogs had gone missing.

Finally there were only two people left: the oldest member of the family, Abuela, which means grandmother, and the youngest member, little Felipe.

“Well,” said Abuela, “it seems that it’s up to us to go and find our missing family. And since there’s no one else to look after the sheep, I guess they’ll have to come with us, too.”

“But you’re too old and I’m too young,” said little Felipe.

“Nonsense,” said Abuela. “If we go slowly and stay together, we’ll be just fine.”

“But I’m scared,” said Felipe. “What if a wolf ate the missing lamb – and everyone else after!”

Abuela smiled. “Well, that wolf would have a very full stomach, then, wouldn’t it?” she said. “So it wouldn’t be interested in the likes of you and me!”

Felipe still looked nervous. “But what if the lamb fell off a cliff, and everyone who went looking for it fell off the same cliff?” he said.

“We shall be very, very careful,” said Abuela, “to make sure that we don’t fall off any cliffs.”

“But what if, what if,” said Felipe – and now his voice dropped to a whisper. “What if there’s a monster waiting on this mountain. What if it was waiting for the lamb, and now it’s waiting for us!”

“Oh, Felipe,” said Abuela. “I’ve lived on this mountain since I was smaller than you. There are no monsters here. And even if there were a monster waiting for us, we’d just give it this picnic basket filled with good food – and then we’d run far away. But there isn’t a monster, and so instead as soon as we find them we’ll have a feast with our family. I imagine your sisters and brothers will be very hungry. Now, come and help me fill this basket.”

And so, Felipe helped his grandmother, his Abuela, fill the basket until it was overflowing with fresh bread and cheese, and other good things. And then with the flock of sheep alongside them, they headed across the meadow, and around the bend, and then along a steep trail – which zigzagged higher and higher. On and on they went, slowly and carefully under the hot summer sun. Felipe’s heart pounded faster the further they climbed – further than he’d ever been. He wanted to believe what his Abuela said, that there were no monsters on the mountain, but he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.

And then he heard something – coming from just around the corner. He grabbed his Abuela’s hand, and together they listened.

It wasn’t a roar, it wasn’t a growl – it wasn’t anything scary. It was more like running water, and voices, and the sound of people laughing.

Still holding hands, Felipe and his Abuela turned the last corner – and there was the most beautiful sight. There was a waterfall splashing down the mountainside into a clear, sparkling pool. And around that sparkling pool were wildflowers and the greenest grass Felipe had ever seen. And beyond the grass was a view of a beautiful valley, which stretched as far as the eye could see. But to Felipe, the most beautiful sight of all was his missing family – his father, his mother, his sisters and brothers – even the two sheepdogs and the missing lamb. The lamb was grazing on that wonderful green grass, while his parents and his siblings and the dogs were wading and splashing and swimming in the pretty mountain pool.

“What happened to all of you?” said Felipe. “Why didn’t you come back?”

“We’re sorry,” said his mother. “We didn’t mean to worry you. But it’s so lovely here, that we lost track of time. We didn’t want to leave this beautiful place. But now that you’re here as well, come and join us in the water!”

And so Felipe and his Abuela did just that.

And when they were all finished wading and swimming under the afternoon sun, they sat down together on the soft grass and feasted on all of the good things that Felipe and Abuela had packed in their picnic basket. And when their stomachs were full at last, they lay down on that grass and watched the sun set across the valley, and the first stars appear in the sky. And then that family of shepherds, and their flock of sheep, and their two sheepdogs, all curled together under the stars and fell fast asleep.

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