There was a widow in a certain village. She was very poor. She had only one sheep. The widow used to sell the sheep’s fleece in the market. To avoid any expenditure, she used to shear the sheep herself. One day, as usual, she started shearing the sheep. But this time, she used the shears so unskilfully that along with the fleece, she sheared the flesh as well. The sheep cried out in pain, and said to the widow, “Why are you hurting me? If you want my flesh, there is the butcher, who will kill me in an instant; but if you want my fleece and wool, there is the shearer, who will shear and not hurt me.” The widow was ashamed of herself. She applied ointment to the wound and apologised to the sheep.
The Widow Who Sheared the Sheep
