A ewe lamb is born early in the morning on a small farm. Her mother, exhausted and getting on in years, fell asleep for good after the lambing. A tiny, still damp creature was left on the straw, not understanding why there was no warm belly and soft sheep's head to push her against.
That morning, a younger woman, who later became my mother, entered the barn. Quiet, sensitive and gentle, yet very used to hard work.
When the woman opened the stable door, her eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny eyes. Behind her, a little girl and a little boy entered - curious, but also silent, as if sensing that something special had happened. The sheep mewed softly, her body already beginning to cool.
"She doesn't have a mummy," the girl said quietly. The boy's eyes moistened. Without a word, the woman stepped closer and knelt down. She gently lifted her hand to the sheep, which was too light to feel. There was no time to think, only to act.
Together they took it to the kitchen, where it was warm. They wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a cardboard box by the stove. They heated the milk and poured it into a bottle. The sheep did not want to drink, she was too weak. But they did not give up. Drop by drop, hour by hour. The boy held the bottle, the girl stroked the sheep, and the woman made sure the milk was not too hot or too cold.
The first day was the hardest. On the second day, they noticed that the sheep was moving slightly. On the third day, she was suckling. Together they made an enclosure out of an old crate where she could lie, watch the surroundings and grow. The days passed slowly, but each day brought a little more hope.
They have been taught that life is not a given. That every being needs care, time and patience. They learned that not everything could be bought; milk was ordinary, a blanket was old, but everything that was provided for a sheep was of inestimable value.
The sheep grew. She became part of the family. Every time she ran around the yard and mewed happily, it seemed like she was laughing. The children called to her with quiet exclamations and told her secrets. In the evenings, the woman would sit by the fence and watch her quietly. How little it really took to save her life. Just a will, a little milk and a heart that knows how to give without expectations.
Zala Krupljan, 18. 4. 2025
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