The Three Cows
The Three Cows
Once, three cows lived in a green and fresh pasture near a forest: a white cow, a black cow and a reddish-brown cow. They used to graze in the meadow together and sleep near each other for safety.
One day, a reddish-brown lion happened to take a stroll out of the forest onto the meadow. It was hungry and looking for a prey, but couldn't attack them, because they were together. The lion waited patiently, but the cows never separated.
The lion devised a new plan: It went towards the cows, greeted them and said, “How are you my friends? I have been busy lately, so could not come and visit you. Today I made up my mind to pay you a visit.”
The reddish-brown cow said, “Sir, your coming has really pleased us and brightened our pasture.”
Both the white and the black cows were troubled by what their friend, the reddish-brown cow said, and were grieved at its thoughtlessness. As the days passed by, the reddish-brown cow became more and more attached to the lion, despite warnings from the others.
One day, the lion said to the reddish-brown cow, “You know that the color of our bodies is dark and that the color of the body of the white cow is light. You also know that light color is the opposite of the dark color. It will be very good if I eat the white cow, so that there will be no difference among us any longer and we will be able to live together well.”
The reddish-brown cow accepted the lion’s argument and started talking to the black cow to keep it busy, so that the lion could eat the white cow. Two or three days passed since the lion devoured the white cow. It became hungry again. It called the reddish-brown cow. The cow answered: “Yes sir!”
The lion said, “The color of my body and the color of your body are both reddish-brown, and black does not go with our color. I will eat the black cow so we will all be the same color.”
Inevitably the lion became hungry again and found the reddish-brown cow. The reddish-brown cow, with great fear and horror, said, “Why sir, I am your friend. I did whatever you asked me to do. Still why do you want to eat me?”
No matter how much the reddish-brown cow begged and entreated, the lion didn’t accept its words. Finally the cow said, “Mr. Lion, please allow me to cry out three times before you eat me.”
The lion said, “Ok. Quickly, quickly!”
The reddish-brown cow cried out, “I was eaten the very day the white cow was eaten. I was eaten the very day the black cow was eaten. I was eaten the very day I made friends with the lion.”
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God warns his followers about their friendships with unholy people (2 Cor. 6:12-15). Too often his warnings are ignored as, like the foolish cow, people don’t consider the future impact these relationships might have. It has been rightly said, “show me your friends, I’ll show you your future”. God wants us to be concerned about who we choose to keep close to us because we care about our future.
I love you