Tales of the Animals on a Borrowed Farm: Captain William Hook

I was eagerly awaiting this day; I was tempted several times to publish this post before but I forced myself to wait. I wanted to maintain a reasonable schedule for posting because I know the day will come when I will sit there, my fingers poised over my keyboard, but my mind empty of all interesting thoughts.

So, here I am again, ready to post some more of the following adventures of Bear and his family. When Bear and his family commenced farming, they started on the most adventurous endeavour of their lives. From raising goats to breeding sheep to keeping chicken, every moment was a moment to remember. And even if they didn't realize it then, they were gaining experience, such experience that would help them in life wherever they went and whatever they put their hand to.

We left Bear and his family dreaming about their future as farmers; well, today we take up the tale again and relate the very first adventure that befell them: the adventure of Captain William Hook. He wasn't really a captain, but he was sort of like a captain. You must read on to figure out the enigma, which isn't really an enigma! 😉😊

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Captain William Hook

The next day was an eventful one. After breakfast, Bear and his family visited the goat farm nearby. The kind farmer took them on a tour all around his farm and showed them all the different types of goats he had. He had goats of all shapes and sizes, all ages, and of many different breeds. The farmer went on to explain which breeds were good for meat, which ones were good for milk, and so on, but Bear hardly heard a word. His eyes were on a little black and white goat that paced restlessly in his pen.

“How old is that goat, Mr. John”?

The farmer turned and looked in the direction that Bear was pointing. “Oh, about six months,” he replied. “But ‘e has a twin that’s bigger than ‘im, if you’re in’erested.”

But Bear wanted that particular little goat. And although the farmer shook his head and muttered under his breath, he gave a good bargain and the goat was soon Bear’s.

The little goat struggled and bleated loudly as Bear put him in the car. He was badly frightened and very wary of Bear and the children. He did not settle down and kept moving around as the family drove to the farm. Once there, Bear took the little goat out of the car, and with some rope, secured him to a nearby tree. 

“We won’t put him in the barn right away. Let him graze awhile and get some fresh air.”

The children watched the little goat for awhile before quietly and slowly drawing near. They wanted to pat him and make friends with him, but he watched them suspiciously and backed away. After a while, the children got bored and left the goat alone.

Then something happened. Something that Bear and his family would remember for a very long time afterward. The children, while playing, had gotten very close to the little goat. Their laughter and hurried movements as they ran around frightened the goat so much that he bolted. The suddenness of his action made the rope tear, and the moments following were chaotic. The children panicked and jumped into the car, half screaming, half-crying. Then they locked the doors and prayed that their father would be able to catch the new little goat.

Although Bear and Swan were shocked for an instant, they didn’t lose their heads. They kicked off their shoes and in a moment, they were running after the goat. They had to head him towards the barn because if he went off towards the hills, they could lose him forever.

The scene was comical. If you had been there, you would have seen the tear-stained faces of the children pressed against the car windows as they watched their parents running hither and thither. The little goat was fast and he sprang about all over the farm, but not for long. He got tired soon enough and only then was Bear able to corner him. Swan quickly opened the barn doors and a few moments later, the little goat was safe in his pen.

Bear decided that everyone, including the goat, had had enough excitement for the day. He put some water and hay for the goat in his pen and then locked up the barn. He believed that the little goat could use some rest and quiet, so he took his family home.

Though the moment was a serious one at the time, it became a funny one years later, and the children laughed the hardest when they remembered how frightened they had been.

Soon after, the family started thinking about a name for the goat. The little black and white goat had already started growing his horns, and they curled backward, almost like hooks. That’s what gave them the idea.

“We could call him Hook,” suggested Bear. “What do you think?”

“How about Captain Hook,” asked Swan?

“No, Captain Hook is the bad guy in Peter Pan,” Rooster said. “We don’t want our goat to be named after a bad guy.” He smirked.

They were all silent for a while. Then Parrot said, “Maybe we could name him Captain William Hook. That wouldn’t be so bad. And…”

“And we could call him Billy for short,” interrupted Swan, excitedly.

“Yes, yes, we’ll call him Billy,” the children chorused, quite pleased with the idea.

And so, that was the beginning of Captain Billy Hook’s life with Bear and his family.

Billy eventually overcame his fear of the new farmers. They visited every day, and he soon got used to their voices and figures. Once the children got to know Billy, they became the best of friends. He was a very tame, playful goat, and he followed the children all over the farm.

Billy loved Bear best of all, but because Bear was busy most of the time, Billy would often seek the children’s company. They scratched him between his ears, gave him extra corn, and let him lie nearby while they played. Billy was happy and content, and for a few weeks, he was the only animal on that farm.

You may say that Billy was becoming a little spoiled, because if the children denied him extra corn or prevented him from doing something he wanted to do, like crawl under the fence and go into the neighbouring farm, he would go running to Bear and complain to him. Of course Bear didn’t understand what Billy was saying, but it was clear that Billy was upset over something.

Billy grew into a big, fat, handsome goat if a goat can be called handsome. And he was a big sweetheart. Whenever the family came to the farm, he knew that they were there, just by the sound of the car doors slamming. And before they opened the barn doors, he was always calling and waiting for them. It was almost as if he wanted to say, “Hey, I’m glad you guys are back! I was missing you!”

Over time, Bear bought several other goats and many sheep, but Billy was the boss on that farm. When any other animal was brought there, Billy would sniff at them, and sometimes he even challenged the males. But most of the time, the animals lived in quiet harmony.

Let me add that there was one particular goat that became Billy’s close friend and more than that, she was his partner in doing naughty things. I will tell you all about her in just a moment.

Billy stayed on the farm for the two whole years that Bear borrowed it. But when Bear had to leave the farm, he also had to let go of Billy, who was very distraught. He looked at Bear with his deep brown eyes full of questions. If only Billy could have spoken, I believe he would have said that his heart was breaking. Poor Billy! But let’s not dwell on this sad separation. Instead, let me tell you about Billy’s best goat-friend.

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And there ends the tale for today. I hope that, by now, I may be considered your friend, and I should like to remain so. Until we meet again, I am

Your friend,

Ellen Hamilton 💖