The Shepherd Twins

The two shepherd boys were twins. The flock though, hardly realized that.

They were very skilled and experienced. They had to lead the flock to pastures, prevent them from going astray, and then bring them back in the evening. Routine, yet responsible tasks.

Their day always began early. They worked hard. The Lord was their master, but they took their orders from Destiny. Committed servants, that they were, they always carried out their orders to perfection.

They were bound by a code. A code that they never violated. A code that prevented one from interfering when the other was dealing with things. This meant that where one was around, the other was not to be seen. The sheep though, were free to be close to anyone of them.

They shared common bonds and some similarities. Yet, they were very different. In fact, quite the opposite in most things. They approached things differently. One appeared kind, and the other, harsh. Even while both were striving only to ensure that the sheep don’t go astray. Difference in methods, but similarity in purpose.

The sheep though, wouldn’t understand this. They didn’t realize that the guys were around only to protect them. And for some reason, they all loved the younger one. The one who was soft, mild, and lead them, rather than the elder one, who pushed them from behind. Little did they realize that the purpose of both were the same.

Over a period of time all the sheep wanted to be close only to the younger one. They started to avoid the elder one. And when the younger one was not around, they tried to run away from the elder. In the process, travelling to forbidden territory, endangering themselves. They didn’t realize that the elder one, as much as the younger one, was there only to guide them and protect them.

For the twins though, how the sheep saw them was immaterial. They had a task on hand, and they were committed to carrying it out. They complimented each other and between them, it didn’t matter who was in-charge at a particular moment. They divided the work among themselves, tending to some sections of the herd randomly.

Their commitment meant that, by-and-large, the herd remained safe. Some that strayed trying to avoid the elder one paid the price. Some were lucky to come back and join the herd even without realizing the risk that they had exposed themselves too.

The twin’s commendable job made them notable. Scholars preached about how their approach was laudable and how others had so many things to learn from them. But they carried on with their lives unassumingly. Inspirational they are, the shepherd twins from the Ness family, tending the herd of humanity. The younger one is named Happy Ness, and elder one Sad Ness.

Haven’t you come across them yet?