Joey and the Wolf
Little Joey woke up bright and early one morning and stretched. Then he popped out of bed and ran to the window to take a look outside.
“Wow! What a beautiful sunny day it is,” Joey said to himself. “I sure do want to go outside and play.”
Hurriedly Joey put on his clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen. Joey's mother was cooking breakfast and his dad was trying to fix the toaster.
“Good Morning,” Joey said and then asked. “What's for breakfast?
“Were having eggs, toast and oatmeal,” his mother replied.
“MMM that sounds really good,” Joey answered back.
“ Hey there little buddy,” Joey's dad said to him. “I'm not to sure about the toast though.”
Just then the toast in the toaster went “Bong!” and popped up and hit the ceiling. They all looked at one another and began to laugh.
After breakfast, Joey asked if he could go across the street and play in the field.
“Sure you can,” said his dad. “But don't go any further. I like to be able to look out the window to see you. And be sure to stay out of the woods.”
As Joey started to leave the house his mom said, “Be sure to look both ways when you cross the street.”
“OK. I will,” Joey said as he closed the door behind him.
When Joey got to the field he began playing his favorite game called 'Discover the World.' That's when he would look for things he'd never seen before.
“Hey! Wow! An old penny! Joey exclaimed reaching down and picking it up.
“Hey! I wonder if this is some kind of hidden treasure! Maybe there's more,” Joey said out loud and then began to search the ground very carefully.
“What are you looking for?” Joey heard a voice from behind him say. He turned around and to his astonishment he saw a wolf smiling at him.
“I'm looking for hidden treasure,” Joey replied.
“Can I help you look?” the wolf asked.
“Sure you can and I'll share everything we find with you,” Joey answered.
“ Well that's very nice of you Joey,” the wolf said.
“Hey, how did you know my name,” questioned Joey.
“Oh, it was just a lucky guess,” replied the wolf.
Joey and the wolf looked for awhile, but didn't find anymore treasure.
“Would you like something sweet to eat?” asked the wolf.
“Sure, I think so. What do you have?” Joey asked.
“I have the most delicious berry you've ever tasted,” replied the wolf. He then held out his hand and gave Joey the berry.
Even though Joey had just had breakfast he felt himself hunger for the berry, so he popped it in his mouth. The wolf was right. Joey had never tasted anything so good.
“May I have another one?” Joey asked.
“Sure you can, you can have lots of them, all you'll have to come with me to the place where the berries are,” answered the wolf.
“Where are they? Is it very far from here? Joey questioned the wolf.
“No Joey, not far at all. They are just a little way into the woods,” the wolf answered.
“Oh, that's too bad,” Joey said sadly. “ My mom and dad won't let me go into the woods.”
“It's OK for you to go into the woods,” said the wolf. “I'll be with you and besides, you can bring some of the berries back to your mom and dad. They'll be so proud of you.”
“ I'm not sure I should go,” replied Joey.
“Oh, come on Joey. Didn't that berry look so good?” the wolf said with a temptation tone.
“Yes id did.” Joey's eyes got big as he remembered how good it was.
“And didn't it taste even better?” The wolf said with a grin.
“It sure did!” Joey's mouth began to water just thinking about it.
“And Joey, there are so man berries out there. And I know just where they are. All you have to do do is follow me.” The wolf then turned and began to walk towards the woods.
Joey felt so confused. He looked toward his house into the window. His father was nowhere in sight.
“ I guess he won't mind, besides, the wolf said we will be back in not time,” Joey thought to himself.
“Hey, wait for me,” Joey yelled as he ran after the wolf.
Joey and the wolf walked for quite awhile through the woods turning this way and that way, going up and down several hills.
Joey wasn't paying much attention to the direction they were going because the wolf kept him entertained with seemingly wonderful visions about the berries. Finally, Joey realized that they had gone a long way into the depth of he woods and it was starting to get dark.
“How much further is it? Joey asked the wolf.
“Not far at all,” the wolf answered.
“But I'm not sure where we are and I'm starting to get scared,” Joey said worriedly.
“Don't be afraid Joey. I'm with you. And besides, there's the berry bush.” The wolf then pointed to a big bush full of berries.
When Joey saw the bush, he forgot his fears and ran to it. But, when he got there, he noticed all the stickers and thorns surrounding the berries.
“Hey!” How will I get the berries out of the bush without hurting myself?” Joey asked the wolf.
“Don't worry. They won't hurt you. Just reach in and pull the berries out,” the wolf said with a big smile. “You can trust me.”
The berries were just too tempting for Joey to resist. So he tried to get some out. But every time he reached in to get one, the thorns would scratch his hand and he'd yell, “Ouch!”
Every time this happened, Joey could hear the wolf laughing. Finally Joey got mad and started to yell at the wolf, but the wolf had disappeared and was nowhere in sight. Then Joey realized he was lost and alone.
“Oh no! What will I do?” Then Joey began to cry. He called to the wolf to come back and show him the way home, but the wolf didn't return. Finally, Joey decided to try to find his own way back home.
Joey walked for what seem to be a long time. He had to go through and around several obstacles. Finally, he came to a big field full of sheep. The he noticed a big hill in the middle of the field. On top of the hill was a man watching over the sheep.
Joey thought that maybe the man could tell him the way home and decided to ask him. Joey looked down at his feet and saw there was a clear path that led from him to the man.
As Joey neared the top of the hill, the man looked down and smiled. He gave Joey a gentle nod ad said, “Hello.”:
“Hi,” Joey replied. Then he asked the man why he was on top of the hill.
“Because I am the shepherd,” the man said softly.
“Oh, I know what a shepherd is. You look after the sheep,” Joey said.
“Well, not exactly. Sure, I look after the sheep. But, mostly I'm here because sometimes the sheep wonder from me and get lost. When this happens they know all they have to do is look up and they can see me. Then, they can follow the path back to me if that's what they want to do. But, sometimes some of the sheep try to follow their own path and never look up, ending up lost forever,” the shepherd explained.
“I guess that's what happened to me,” Joey said sadly. “I forgot to keep in sight of my home and I wondered off into the woods and got lost. Could you tell me how to get back to my home? Joey asked.
“I can do that Joey,” the shepherd said assuringly.
“Hey! How did you know my name?” Joey asked curiously.
“Though you have never seen me, I have known you for a long time,” answered the shepherd.
“You mean when I was little?” asked Joey.
“Something like that. Now if you want to get back to your home all you have to do is follow this path.” Then the shepherd pointed to the ground. There were many paths that led in different directions. The one the shepherd was pointing to seemed to glow.
To Joey's surprise there was a clear path that led back into the woods from where he had came. “That path will lead you home Joey. Now remember to stay on the path or you will get lost again,” the shepherd said concerned.
“Don't worry about that! I've learned my lesson,” Joey said sincerely. Then he thanked the shepherd and hurried down the path. Soon Joey started to recognize the surroundings and began to feel safe. Soon he would be home!
“Hello Joey! He heard a voice shout out. “I see you found your way back. I was starting to get worried about you.”
Joey recognized the voice and sure enough it was the wolf. The wolf came out from behind the trees and stood before Joey.
“What are you doing here? Joey asked angrily. “Why did you run off and leave me?”
“Oh, I was just playing a game with you,” the wolf answered with a big grin.
“Well, I didn't like that! You tricked me, and I never did get any of those berries. All I got was scratches on my hand and lost in the woods.” snipped Joey.
“I'm sorry,” the wolf said unconcerned. “What if I make it up to you? Just behind those trees is another berry bush that has no thorns on it. You can pick as many as you want in no time at all.”
“I better not. I've been gone way too long,” Joey said as he shook his head.
“Oh, it will only take a minute. And remember how you loved those berries?” the wolf said licking his lips.
Joey began to feel hungry for the berries and said, OK but lets hurry.”
So they both ran off the path and into the woods with the wolf leading the way. But the wolf didn't stop and kept saying, “Just a little way further, we are almost there.”
They ran up and down hills and deeper into the woods. Joey got tired and yelled at the wolf. “I thought you said there weren't far away.!”
“They're not,” answered the wolf. “See those bushes up there. They are the ones. Come on, let's eat some.”
“Yippee!” shouted Joey. As he ran closer to the bushes he saw that the wolf had told him the truth. There were no stickers or thorns surrounding the berries. Joey picked one of the bush and put it into his mouth but quickly spat it out.
“Yuck,” Joey yelled out surprisingly. Hey wait a minute. All of these berries are old and rotten and they taste terrible.”
Joey could hear the wolf laughing. Then the wolf said, “The good ones are on the other side of the bush”
When Joey got to the other side, he found those berries to be in worse shape then the first ones. The wolf began to laugh even harder.
“That's not funny! You tricked me again! Joey said angrily.
Then Joey turned around to give the wolf a piece of his mind but he was nowhere in sight. He had disappeared again! Then Joey began to get really scared.
“Oh no' what have I done?” Joey thought sadly. “I wondered off the path again and now I am more lost than I was the first time and it's starting to get darker. I'll never be able to find my way back home.” Then he began to cry.
“Why didn't I listen to the shepherd?” Joey said out loud. Then he remembered what the shepherd said his sheep do when they get lost. They look up.
Joey looked up and he could see way off in the distance a bright light. He decided to go towards the light. Then he noticed the light was shining a clear path to follow.
As Joey got closer to the light he could see the shepherd on the hill with a bright object above him shinning brightly. When Joey got close to the shepherd he lowered his head and said, “I feel so ashamed. After you showed me the way home I wondered off your path. But it wasn't my fault. There is a wolf who keeps tricking me. He leads me off the path, sometimes into dark places. Then he disappears and leaves me to find my way all alone. I never would have found my way back here if you didn't have that bright light above your head.”
The shepherd replied, “When ever darkness comes, I always shine my light so that even the most lost sheep may find their way back if that's what they want to do.”
“ I'm sure glad of that,” Joey said with a smile. “Do you think you could point out the right path to me again shepherd.
I sure will, Joey, it's that one over there,” the shepherd said as he pointed to the path that was glowing.
Joey thanked the shepherd and he began to leave. Then paused and looked back up to the shepherd and said, “Would you mind holding my hand and walking me home?”
“Not at all,” replied the shepherd assuringly. “I was hoping you were going to ask me the first time.
The shepherd reach down and held Joey's hand. Then the two started to walk down the path together. The shepherd turned to Joey and said, “Remember now Joey, you have to hold my hand too. I will never clutch your hand so tight that you can't let go if that's what you want to do.”
“I wouldn't do that,” Joey promised and held on even tighter to the shepherds hand.
They walked and talked for quite awhile and then to Joey's surprise, sitting on the edge of the path was the wolf.
“Hi Joey. I see you found your way back again. Boy am I glad to see you. I was really starting to worry. I was just about to go looking for you,” the wolf said.
“I don't think you were worried or you wouldn't keep tricking me,” quipped Joey.
“I'm sorry,” said the wolf. I was playing my favorite game. But to prove to you that I am sorry, I have a gift for you.
The wolf held out his hands an in them were many berries. They looked even better then the first on he had eaten. Joey could smell the sweet aroma coming from them.
“They're yours as my gift Joey. You don't even have to go look for them. All you have to do is let go of the shepherds hand an I'll give you the berries to take. You will need both hands,” the wolf said in a sly way.
Joey paused for a second then looked at the shepherd. Then he turned to the wolf and said, “Na, you can eat them” Then Joey and the shepherd continued their journey never looking back at the wolf.
“That was very good,” the shepherd said to Joey. “But remember, for the rest of your life, different wolves will try to trick you. It will be up to you. You're the one who will have to decide between the trickery of the wolves or the path you know is the right one to follow.
Joey thought for a couple of seconds and then said, “I think I understand and you truly are a good shepherd,” and then he gave the shepherd a big hug.
“And you are a very smart boy,” the shepherd said while patting Joey's head. And then added while pointing, “And there is your home.”
Joey looked to where the shepherd was pointing and sure enough, he could see his house. At first he got very excited, and then he got a real worried look on his face.
The shepherd knew what was troubling Joey and said, “You're afraid that your parents are going to punish you, aren't you Joey.”
“Yes,” Joey said sadly. “I'm sure I am going to be in big trouble. I might even get a spanking. Good shepherd, you are so kind and gentle. Do you think you could punish me instead of my parents?”
“Joey,” the shepherd said as he knelt down and put his hands on his shoulders. “I did not come here to punish you. I came only to help. You or any of my sheep who look to me. You'll be fine. Now go on home and be sure to look both ways before you cross the street.”
When Joey got home, he was right. He did get restricted to his room for the entire week. At bed time his mom and dad came into his room to talk to him.
His dad said, “Joey, we were so worried about you because we love you so much. We trusted you to what we said but you didn't. We have the responsibility to try and teach you a lesson.”
“ I know I did a very wrong thing, I am very sorry. I will never do it again,” Joey said to his parents.
“We believe you Joey. We all make mistakes. But when you do it is very important to learn from them.” his mother said. Then his mom and dad gave him a kiss goodnight and closed the door behind them.
Joey closed his eyes and thought of all the amazing lessons he had learned that day. Can you think of some?
Steve Lemco
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Last update: 06-09-2011 03:34 |
| Published in : Animation |
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