One day, some men who were always good were watching Jesus closely. They saw that he often spent time with people they thought were bad. Jesus heard them grumbling about this.

He needed to show them that he loved and cared for everyone, so he made up a 'teaching story' to help them understand. We call these stories 'parables'. This is the story:

Once there was a shepherd who looked after one hundred fine sheep. He was very proud of them and took great care of them all. Every day he led them to places where they could find fresh green grass and clear water.