The Ruler of Sheep is by no means a device that is used in the measuring or quantifying of members of the species Ovis aries. Rather, the Ruler of Sheep is a person. A person with a magnificent flute.
The craftmanship of this flute is superb, perfectly weighted and masterfully balanced, but it is not for these traits that the flute is known. No, this flute is special in another way. The embouchure hole is shaped such like no other embouchure hole ever was or will be. When the faintest breath of air is passed into the flute through this hole, a perfect S-note is the result. This note beckons to all those sheep who hear it. Calling to them stronger and stronger until they can resist no more. Sheep have been known to run through whole packs of sheepdogs in order to reach the origin point of an S-note.
Try as they might, the Consortium Against the Monopolisation of a Sound (CAMS) attempted to recreate the shape of the flute’s embouchure hole so that farmers had some hope in the fight against the mass sheep exoduses. But to no avail.
And so, the Ruler of Sheep holds absolute power in this sheep driven economy, wielding his unique and magical tube to the detriment of all farmers that are relatively close by.
He blows his flute and the sheep come.