The Parable of Tom and the Good Shepherd

By Craig Colin Wilson and Christian Scott

When Pete and Maggie Adams get off the school bus upset about a classmate, Grandpa does the only thing he knows to do: he tells them a storyone of Gods stories, at that!

Join the Adams children as they hear the parable of Tom the unhappy sheep and all of the dangerous adventures he finds himself on when he wanders into the forest, away from the shepherd, one Friday afternoon. Along the way, you will encounter joke-telling cardinals, well-spoken owls, fun-loving rabbits, a smooth-talking snake, one very angry bear, and many more of the forests wild creatures.

At the end of the path, though, Pete and Maggie must watch Tom make a very important choicea choice we all must make at one time or another: life or death.

For the Adams children, things will never be the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490828633

Craig Colin Wilson

Craig Wilson and his wife, Tennille, live happily in Stedman, North Carolina. Wilson is licensed and hired to teach English, but he is first a teacher of the Good News. He has no professional qualifications to write a novel, but God made it happen anyway. To Him be the glory! Christian Scott’s love for drawing and God’s creatures began as early as age two. He is currently an eighth grader at Seventy-First Classical Middle School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He lives with his parents and two brothers.

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Copyright © 2014 Craig Colin Wilson.

Illustrations by Christian Scott

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2864-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2865-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2863-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904000

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/06/2014

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 On the pasture and who lived there

Chapter 2 On the day that Tom’s life got worse

Chapter 3 On the time when Tom made a very bad choice

Chapter 4 On what Tom first found in the forest

Chapter 5 On some voices and what they had to say

Chapter 6 On the rabbits and all the fun they had

Chapter 7 On Tom’s initiation into the forest

Chapter 8 On the gathering and all that went on

Chapter 9 On the scariest night of Tom’s life

Chapter 10 On the river

Chapter 11 On a very important conversation

Chapter 12 On Tom’s return to the pasture

Epilogue

Prologue

That boy Harold is just awful! Maggie shouted. She was stepping down from the school bus.

Her twin brother, Pete, was close behind. He said, He’s the worst!

He makes me sick! Maggie continued.

He’s…abominamle! Pete added, though he did not know quite how to say it, or even exactly what it meant. It sounded like a bad thing to be, and Harold, Pete thought, was certainly bad.

They walked down their grandparents’ driveway toward the small white house with large, blue-shuttered windows and even larger bushes in the front. Between the bushes were beautiful flowers—red, purple, blue, and yellow ones, to name a few.

Even the flowers could not cheer up the Adams children, however. Pete flung open the front door, trying to use words like despicable, nauseating, and even atrocious, though not even Maggie, who always did very well in school, could understand that last one.

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It was right when Maggie screeched, Ugh! I just…HATE HIM! that Grandpa came out of his bedroom. He looked very disappointed.

For a minute, nobody said anything. Then, Grandpa said, What’s the matter, Doll?

It’s this boy, Grandpa. His name is Harold, and he is such… Maggie started. Then, she stopped herself. She suddenly felt very ashamed. She knew better than to say hate in front of Grandpa. She looked down at her shoes.

Pete looked down at his own shoes. He also knew better than to use such mean words as despicable and atrocious.

You see, Pete and Maggie Adams had been taught from a very young age about God and the Bible. Grandpa was the person who taught them the most. He told them all kinds of stories about David, Jonah, Moses, and so many others, and they always enjoyed them. In fact, the Adams children loved to hear Grandpa tell stories (especially the ones about Jesus Christ), but they still did not always act like they were supposed to.

After all, they were still people, and all people have to deal with things like anger.

Grandpa started walking toward the large, soft, brown couch which had been against the wall for years—at least as long as Pete and Maggie had been alive.

Come here, you two, he said. He waved his hand, inviting them to sit down with him.

Now, he said, tell me about this boy.

That was what made Grandpa so great! He was always willing to listen, even if they were using ugly language.

Oh, Grandpa, Maggie blurted, he is SO hard to get along with!

He calls people names! Pete said.

Yes, nasty names, Maggie agreed. And he pokes people when they aren’t looking!

Yes, with pencils, paper clips, anything he can get!

And he takes things that aren’t his, Maggie continued.

Like the keychain from my backpack! AND my pencil sharpener!

And then he BREAKS them! For no reason!

And then he throws them at people!

Yes, I nearly got hit this morning!

And, and, Pete said, he’s rude to the teacher!

He’s rude to EVERYONE! Maggie added, almost pleading to Grandpa to do something.

Well, Grandpa said, It sounds like this boy can be a challenge.

I’d say, Maggie sighed.

Grandpa chuckled.

Does he have many friends? Grandpa asked.

Of course not! Pete responded quickly. Who would want to be HIS friend?

NOBODY likes him! Maggie agreed.

Well, Doll, Grandpa said, have you thought about what he might be going through?

I’ve TRIED, Grandpa, I have! Maggie insisted.

So have I! Pete agreed.

But, Maggie went on, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to see his side! He’s just so terrible!

Horrible! Pete added.

I’m telling you, Maggie said, NOBODY likes him! It’s not just us!

Okay, Grandpa said. I think it’s time for a story.

Pete and Maggie both looked at each other, then back at Grandpa.

Well, we love your stories Grandpa, Pete said slowly.

We really do, Maggie agreed. But there is no way they can make us like Harold.

Remember, children, Grandpa responded, these are not my stories. These are God’s stories. And God can do more than any of us can imagine.

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CHAPTER

1

On the pasture

and who lived there

This story starts in a pasture greener than you have ever seen. One so large, you could not possibly see from one end to the other. It stretched for miles and miles, over hills and through valleys.

Right in the middle of it, though, was the very best view. Any direction you looked, you would see gently rolling hills, like beautiful folds in the softest sheets. Bright sun shone on the tops of each hill. Not a hot, dry sun, but a sun with the perfect warmth that made you think