In a lonely valley in Scotland lived a poor shepherd, named Robin. He was nearly eighty years old, and his beard and hair were white as snow.
His wife and children were dead, and there was only left to him a little grandson, whom he called Jimmy. Jimmy dearly loved his grandfather, who had taken him to his home when he became an orphan, and was the only friend he had in the world. The shepherd taught Jimmy to read, and when the old man’s eyes were dimmed with age, it gave him great pleasure to hear little Jimmy read two or three chapters to him every evening. Jimmy was pleased, above all, to see Jesus Christ spoken of as the Good Shepherd, for the little boy took care of his grandfather’s flock. When sitting on the top of a mountain, eating his dinner, often a piece of dry cake, he would say to himself,
“If I, who am but a child, am able to take care of a flock, how much more able is Jesus Christ to take care of those He calls His sheep. The children are little lambs, and I am sure He always guards them with tenderness. What did my grandfather say when children did not obey their parents, as God has ordered them? ‘Some evil will befall them like my stray lambs.’”
The time which Jimmy passed all alone on the top of the mountains never seemed to him long, and besides his Bible, he had his little book of hymns, which he liked to learn by heart.
Robin had a dog, named Watch, which had been of great service to him. The faithful creature followed jimmy every morning when he went out with his flock; and when the little shepherd was tired with reading and reflecting, he would play with his dog. The good dog loved him so much that he never left him; and if Jimmy hid from him, Watch was never easy till he found him. One day Jimmy forgot his duty, and wishing to make a sling, like King David when he was a shepherd boy, he left his grandfather’s flock and ran to the house to look for a cord. It was very naughty, and Jimmy ran back to his sheep as fast as he could, for his conscience told him he was guilty; but when he reached the mountain, he saw that four of his sheep were gone; he looked on all sides, but he could not see them; he went up higher, but saw nothing. He ran home directly and told the truth to his grandfather, who, instead of being angry, put his hand upon his head, and said, “The sheep are probably gone to the right side of the mountain to go into the other pastures; go and look for them, my child: make haste, for it will snow soon. Bring home your flock quickly.”
When Jimmy reached the top of the mountain the snow was falling, and the ground was soon white, Old Robin began to repent that he had told Jimmy to go out; for he knew that if the poor child were once to lose his road on the mountains when they were covered with snow, he would not be able to find it again all night, and that he would be dead with cold before morning. The old man sat near the window, listening with anxiety. The shades of nigh grew thicker and thicker, and at last the old man could see nothing, and he made up the fire. He was very uneasy about the child; he saw in a corner of the room the little stool on which Jimmy sat every night, and his eyes filled with tears. He did not hear any noise in the village; the people were all gone into their houses to take shelter from the storm; he heard nothing but the wind in the valley, and the ticking of the clock, which was placed in the corner of the room; at last it struck seven. Robin fell on his knees, and prayed God to restore him his poor child. While he was praying, the tears ran down his cheeks, though he did not forget that God has promised to help those who put their trust in Him. Old Robin then put on his coat, and was going to his neighbor Mackay, to beg him to go and look for Jimmy, when he heard a scratching at the door, What do you think he saw when he opened it? Do not be disappointed; it was not Jimmy, but only his good dog Watch, Poor dog! when he saw Robin he gave a sad glance at him, and then ran a little way from the door and came back again. The dog wanted to make the old man understand that he came to show the way to the place where his little master was.
Robin then went as fast as he was able to his neighbor, Mackay.
“What is the matter, my friend?” said John Mackay; and having heard, he at once said, “I shall go and look on all sides for jimmy. Courage, my good neighbor; do not despond. God has not left your dear Jimmy. No, no, Robin; you will have him again.”
He was going to add something, but Watch interrupted him by jumping upon him and running towards the door.
“Well, Watch, well,” said he, “go on before, and I will follow you.”
And on very fast he went, but not so fast as the dog wished. Watch ran always in front, when suddenly the dog stopped, but Mackay heard him uttering bitter cries. Mackay then came up, and saw Watch scraping the snow with all hip might. A moment after, he heard a feeble voice which said,
“Help me, save me”; and he saw the head of little Jimmy appearing, above the snow.
The poor child had fallen into a deep hole, which was nearly full of snow, and his little body was almost buried. He was so feeble and benumbed with the cold that he could not move; and Mackay had a great deal of trouble to take him out.
When Mackay reached his house, and old Robin saw Jimmy motionless on Mackay’s shoulders, he covered his face with his hands, and all his body trembled; but Mackay said,
“Did not I tell you to put your confidence in God?”
When these kind neighbors saw how weak the boy was, they put him in their own bed, made him take some hot porridge, rubbed his benumbed limbs, and took off his wet clothes, the old man watching all the time near the bed. The night’s rest did Jimmy a great deal of good; and the next morning, when all in the house met round the breakfast table, and while Watch was placed at the feet of his young master, Jimmy told all that had happened to him.
In trying to find the sheep, as his grandfather told him, he had fallen into the hole out of which the good Mackay had taken him.
“When Watch saw me,” said he, “in danger, he seemed not to know what to do; at one time he pulled me, and then, all of a sudden, he ran away as fast as he was able. When I was alone, I asked God to take me out of that dreadful place,”
Thus you see that God cares for those who put their trust in Him.
ML 03/13/1938