Two Parables

Happened to hear two parables recently; am recording them - minus the moral lessons:

1. A large flock of sheep were grazing in a rather arid and uninteresting valley. Someone brought news that atop a nearby hill was a lush garden and vineyard - with plenty of grapes. They all started running up when someone cautioned: "Hey, the climb is treacherous and there is no water on the way. It is dangerous". Hearing this, most sheep developed cold feet and got back into the familiar but dull safety of the valley. A few tough ones persisted but the warning kept preying on their minds. They kept asking one other: "Are we being foolhardy? Is it not better to be safe than dead?". The climb was indeed arduous and along the way, they all chickened out and returned - save one little lamb which bravely kept climbing and eventually reached the top. When the little lamb had had his fill of the goodies up there and got back to his flock, many were curious to know how he could manage the climb, alone. They clustered around him and peppered him with questions on his unique achievement; and the response was nothing but a puzzled - and puzzling - silence. Then a she-sheep forced her way thru the crowd to the lamb and told the others: "Please lay off my little son. He can't answer; he can't even hear what you ask. He is deaf!"

2. A certain wealthy man had a guest. He offered the visitor kheer (aka 'paal paayasam') and invited him for a leisurely stroll in his garden. Bowls of kheer in hand, the two entered the host's garden. Suddenly a little pig came running and started licking the guest's feet and trying to climb up on to his knees (almost ignoring the host, his master)- rather like a pet-dog. The guest was impressed and remarked "This piglet is remarkable. You have trained it to hehave like a nice little pup!". The response was: "Make no mistake! He is not showing any special affection for YOU. The bowl in your hand is the one in which he gets his feed; he is simply after the bowl and the kheer in it!"