The most vulnerable sheep huddle in the middle of the herd.
Fearful sheep quietly negotiate for access to the center, seeking security within the inner circle.
Some sheep edge the outermost layer of the herd, one hoof in, one hoof out, wary to step away from the safety zone, seemingly too timid to step out on their own.
Those struck with wanderlust nervously watch the nearby border collie, alert and fearsome, who nips reproach on the shanks of sheep who dare to go astray.
The border collie keeps the sheep in line.
Yet, one black sheep stands alone, far from the herd.
The border collie eyes the black sheep, sizing up the outcast as different. If a threat approaches, the border collie will protect the herd, those sheep so fearful and dependent on the ever present protector dog, they remain frozen in one place, unable to move on their own merit without direction.
The border collie deems the black sheep worthy of sacrifice for the safety of the herd that instinctly trusts the dog with their sheep lives.
On occasion, the black sheep attempts access into the herd, only to be shunned away. Infiltration by the exiled black sheep will forever change the herd and threaten the dynamics of the comfort zone.
The black sheep is branded as different, and outcast, so therefore, decreed dispensable by the dog and by the herd.
The sheep, with the help of the border collie, must protect their lambs. Often a parent sheep will nuzzle their young towards the center as a pretense to gain access to the inner sanctum.
After all, the young guarantee the survival of the species.
When a pack of wolves races over the crest of a rolling green hill and descends upon the herd, the lone border collie is caught overwhelmed.
The herd panics.
It's every sheep for itself.
The sheep scatter. The wolves pick off the most vulnerable first.
The false sense of fear-based security offered by the border collie ultimately renders the sheep less safe.
The black sheep, ever cognizant of the slightest change in the meadow politick, caught scent of the wolf pack long before the presence of the beasts upon the hill. Exploited by the border collie and unable to fight its way back into the social acceptance of the herd, the black sheep has been forced to rely on his own instincts while exiled.
He reached the shelter of a nearby barn as the sheep continued their constant jockey for a protected position, unaware of the pending threat just over the hill.
As the border collie scrambles to fight off the marauders and round up the hysterical herd, the lone black sheep shoves the barn door closed against the anguished screams of those sheep plundered by misplaced trust.