This story is about the history of two flocks of sheep and how friendship and peace turned to hatred and hurt.

The story starts, as you would expect in a story that involved sheep, in a field. In this field there lived a flock of black sheep who loved the luscious green grass, but even better was the tall, tough wall that they had in the left corner of their field, which protected them from the strong winds and terrifying rains.

The field next door to the black sheep was also full of luscious green grass and full of sheep. This flock of sheep were white sheep. These sheep did not have a shelter like their neighbours, but instead they did have an area in their field that was known as 'the sun spot'. Curiously enough it was called this because it was the spot where the hottest part of the sun spent most of its day. Now you might think that sheep are not very inventive when it comes to names from this, but they would argue that it was humans who were lacking of imagination, as it was in sheep legend that the name 'sun spot' had come from a bunch of human walkers who had stated the obvious so stupidly in front of the sheep that it just stuck as a reminder of which species were the most observant.

Between the two fields there was a well-built fence that divided the two flocks. This meant that only occasionally did the sheep get the chance to see and talk to each other. There would be the odd 'Hello' or even a comment about the weather or the food, but that was about it, because it was too hard to peek through the gaps and start a conversation.

However, one day it was noticed by both flocks that part of the barrier had been knocked down. It had been happening over time, but today with a door between each other having been opened the sheep decided to find out about each other and make good friendships.

So during that day and over the next few days the two flocks found out about each other by sharing stories and playing games.

The other important things that they found out about were that the black sheep learnt about the white sheep's sun spot and the white sheep learnt about the black sheep's shelter. The black sheep were so shocked at the white sheep not having a shelter that they invited the white sheep to share their shelter any time that they wanted to. To match this generosity the white sheep also offered a kind gift, which was for the black sheep to use their sunspot whenever they felt like it.

This connection developed over time and led to the two fields being used and shared equally between the two flocks. Instead of there being two medium fields and two flocks of sheep, it was now seen as one large field and one large flock. Songs were swapped, hairstyles compared and diet patterns discussed. Everything was happy, cheerful and calm because everybody was getting on so well.

One afternoon after a tiring game of 'follow the leader' the sheep were sat relaxing and talking about the ideas and stories of their ancient ancestors. It was during this time that one of the white sheep decided to tell the others about the amazing journey that their most famous ancestor had been on.

The black sheep were told about how this sheep had travelled all over the world and had only come back once they had reached the end of the world.

The black sheep listened with care and attention to the ideas and beliefs of the white sheep. After the story had finished (basically that the sheep had then gone back and told everyone what they had seen) the black sheep had some interesting questions that they wanted to ask because what they had just heard was a little bit different from what their ideas and beliefs were.

'So,' said one of the black sheep, 'this ancestor of yours just walked until they could walk no more?'
'Well, yes,' the white sheep replied, 'just walked and walked until they got to the edge and peered over the ledge' (Sheep don't understand or care about rhythm and rhyme so the sheep did not come up with some terrible comment about the rhyme that had been made).
'So what did that ancestor see when they got to the end of the world?' A black sheep asked.

'Well they peered over it and saw the mist and darkness that was beyond the land, then they turned round because they did not want to slip or get dragged in to the darkness.' The white sheep answered.

'Mist and darkness?' The black sheep remarked thoughtfully. After the thoughtfulness had created the necessary image the black sheep further enquired to the white sheep with 'So, did they then go to the other side of the world to see the other end to check whether that was the same as well?'

The white sheep, shocked at the question, said in a chuckle 'Don't be silly, are you kidding? Once you have survived going to one edge of the world, and have nearly fallen off it, do you really think that it is sensible to go to the other side to try and do the same?'

After finishing a mouthful of grass (well, sheep know their manners) the black sheep asked 'So you don't know if the other side is different and in fact just goes on and on then?'

The just as polite white sheep answered, after finishing its grass, with 'Well, maybe it does, but we believe that both the sides are just the same and equal because we don't think that the land can go on and on forever and ever.'

After discussing this further and chewing some more grass, the black sheep decided to explain their ideas and beliefs about the world because they were so different from those of the white sheep. The black sheep explained to the white sheep that their beliefs were also based around a famous travelling ancestor. The difference being that this ancestor was so incredibly famous and fantastic because they had discovered that the world was in fact round.

As the black sheep was finishing this story (again, basically that the sheep got back and told everyone) one of the white sheep laughed out 'Round! Are you sure?

'

'Yes, of course I'm sure' the black sheep insisted.

'So, one of your ancient family actually walked all the way round without going back once…at all'.

'Yes!' the black sheep firmly stated 'That is how our ancestor discovered that the world is round, not once did they have to go down a road that they had used before, yet they still ended up getting back to our field. I'll say it again, not once repeating a single track. Now you must agree that if that happens then there can only be one explanation for it, and that is that the world is round.' After letting out a deep sigh the black sheep drooped down to show that it was now relaxing time.

However some sheep are as good as humans at picking up hints so the calm was soon interrupted by one of the white sheep who said 'Hang on! You seriously believe that this whole world thing is round?' 'Yes,' the black sheep quickly replied. The white sheep continued with 'So then, if it is round, then we are just stuck on top of this whole round ball thing?'

'Yes' the black sheep muttered, however it decided to continue to explain so that it could try and clear up any problems about its beliefs and stop the conversation from going any further 'the world is not flat in our opinion, instead it is joined together and therefore we believe it to be round...and yes we trust our ancestors who say that we are just stuck here.'

'Oh come on!' The dismissive white sheep (who could not find a hint in a hint field) quickly responded, 'What are you on about? Do you really think that we all have special glue or Velcro that holds us here.'

As the white sheep were chuckling, the black sheep, who were now getting annoyed at all the jokes, just said together 'Look this is what we believe, we don't know all the facts but we know...'

Even before the black sheep could finish their sentence one of the white sheep shouted over to a friend who was playing 'counting humans' 'Hey don't jump too high when you are looking or else you might lose yourself in the sky and never be seen again.'

The black sheep, who were now feeling really insulted, protested 'Hey, come on. Stop laughing at us, it is not a joke'. 'Oh come on, it is funny, lets be honest. The picture that you have put in my head of us with special glue or something being put on our hooves when we are first born is really funny.' the white sheep sniggered.

'Funny? Your actually saying in front of us that what we believe in is a joke!' Came the angry united response.

'Well, yeah. Come on, can you really tell us that you actually believe in this complete rubbish?' the white sheep maintained.

The black sheep decided not to carry on the discussion, but throughout the day the whole black sheep flock had to put up with loads and loads of white sheep jokes that were aimed at their personal values and ideals.

Over the next few days things got even worse between the two flocks and the arguments became angrier and more heated. Both of the flocks were now spending most of their time in their own groups, where they were trying to come up with ruder songs, jokes and prints to use against their former friends. By the end of the week it was so unbearable for the two flocks to live together that they both separated back in to their old fields.

By the next day the only words that were exchanged between the two flocks were the cruel and hurtful ones that they had put in to their unkind songs about their neighbours.

As time went by new barriers were built up to keep the two fields divided. Things were not forgotten though. You see at least once every day, those cruel and hurtful songs were sung by each flock to remind their neighbour of the differences that they had between each other.

And to this day when you hear a sheep in a field you need to tell it off for being unkind about its neighbour, because the chances are that it will be singing one of those rude songs.