Andrew R. Clark
On top of the building, a young woman lived in a single room. On the second floor, an old man had two. At the bottom lived the old woman who owned the apartments. She was very rich and had three rooms.
Walking in the street one day, the old man came upon a lamb, unattended and loose. It began following him. He didn’t know what else to do, so he kept walking. The lamb followed the old man all the way home. Sitting on the bench in front of the building, the animal at his side, he took off his hat, scratching his bald head.
The old woman came out and sat down beside him. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing.
“What does it look like?”
“Yes, old fool, but why are you sitting there with it?”
“Do you have any better ideas?” he replied, scowling.
“Bring it around back and tie it up by the shed,” she said, returning his scowl. “I’ll make us some tea and decide what to do.”
The old man climbed the stairs and knocked on the young woman’s door. He heard movement inside, the door opened a crack, and she peered out.
“Hello, Grandfather, can I help you?”
The old man had a perplexed look on his face. “You see, Daughter, I was walking down the street, and it followed me.” He looked relieved, as though he had explained himself.
“Yes, Grandfather. What followed you?”
His confounded expression returned, and he stammered, “I was walking … and for no reason it just followed me … the lamb.”
“A lamb? What did you do?”
“It’s tied up behind the building, and she says you should have it.”
“Me, Grandfather?”
“Yes, you.”
Every day the young woman walked the lamb to the edge of town to eat grass beside the road. It grew and by the next spring, was a ewe, ready to have lambs of her own. The young woman found a farmer with a ram—yes, she could breed her ewe with the ram. The old man cleaned out the shed when the old woman told him to. And in it, on clean straw, were born more lambs, one with a black head, the rest all white, and all bleating and hungry.
The young woman knocked on the old man’s door. “Grandfather, will you help me run a food stall? I know you’re retired, but you’re good with people, and it could be fun.”
“I’m good with people?” he responded, confused.
So they opened a food stall in front of their building and served spicy lamb with roasted vegetables. Locals ate there, and in time, people came from all around.
In the cool morning, the old man sat on the bench, resting his feet. The lunch crowd wouldn’t start showing up for another hour, and all the prep work was done. The rich old woman with three rooms came out and sat down beside him.
“Business is good?” she asked.
“Yes. The girl works hard, and people like the food.”
“And you are happy?”
The old man turned, scrutinizing her. “You care if I’m happy, Sister?”
She gave a little grunt and replied, “If you and the girl are prosperous, I can raise your rents.”
They both chuckled, soaking up the morning sun.