Ellen's Farm Life

All’s Well That Ends Well N ow, you must be wondering why Bear had to leave that farm. The main reason was because he and his family were going to be moving away, across the world. Bear had had a wonderful time and he had learned many things. Those two years had been very pleasurable, but still, it was not marked without sadness. Many sheep had died while living on that farm and for various reasons. Some suffered terribly during the winter seasons and others contracted diseases. But as one farmer friend said, “If you want to have livestock, you had better expect deadstock!” And so Bear and his family moved on.   The wonderful events on the borrowed farm were many. Behind the farm, there was an automobile factory that once caught on fire. And once when Bear let a friend keep a tall goat on the farm, it ran away and caused a lot of trouble. Everyone thought that the goat was possessed by the devil, but I say that he possessed intelligence. I cannot tell you all the...

Diana P rincess had one good friend, and her name was Diana. She was a well-bred Katahdin sheep, and she was very good-natured. Diana did not mind Bear’s children, and they would have taken rides on her back if their father had not forbidden them. She was gentle and calm, facing every day with confidence. Diana loved Pickle best. She was about four years old at that time, and Diana came up to her ears when she stood next to her. I can still see them, Pickle with a bucket of grain on her head, and Diana leading all the sheep in procession behind her. Diana and Princess were close friends, and you could often see them, lying near each other on the grassy field, contentedly chewing their cud as the sun slowly set and spread a dream-like warmth all over the place. Life was good in those days, as Bear and his family recalled. They were very happy. Diana had a baby lamb around the same time that Princess had her twins. He was a cute little chap and he loved to play in...

Prince and Princess B ear bought many sheep over the two years at the farm. Most of them looked the same, and although the children named them and tried to play with them, a lot of them did not become very friendly. They were simply familiar with the children. Most of the sheep did not stand being patted, hugged, or pushed around, and when the children tried anything of that sort, they always managed to struggle and get away. There was one sheep that the children loved, and he was quite a handsome one too. But no, he would not have anything to do with the children. He was white all over and he had a lofty forehead. He looked magnificent to the children, so they named him Prince. When the children bothered Prince too much, he bleated loudly in their faces, often making them run away. The children would eventually get tired of trying to make Prince join their fun and games and would look around for Billy or Brownie. Prince liked it that way. Bear had bought some other s...

Rachel, the Neighbour Girl T he name of the little girl who lived beside the farm was Rachel. She lived in a white cottage with her parents and her older brothers. Rachel had the fresh mind of a farm girl, and it was not very long before she became a close friend to Bear’s family. Every day after school, she would go home, drop her books, change her clothes, and run up to the farm to join Bear’s children. Rachel loved being on the farm with Bear’s children, and by and by, she came to love the animals very much. She especially loved Brownie, and it seemed like Brownie returned her affection. Rachel had no sister, so she took Brownie as one, and you could often see Rachel’s long golden hair glinting in the sunlight as she and Brownie trotted side by side in the warm afternoon. Rachel’s parents never worried about her whereabouts when she was with Bear’s family. They knew that she was safe, and most of all, she enjoyed her time with them. During the summer holidays,...

Oh, the joys of spring! It can hardly be described! Everything seems so alive, so full of spirit, so vibrant and full of colour. The plants, trees, and grass quiver in the wind, sway with the breeze, and seem to be rippling with laughter due to their sheer pleasure in coming to life and breathing the fresh air of a spring morning. These were my very thoughts while I was out walking on a bright, sunny afternoon, in the hayfield behind the woods. The air was scented with the fresh breath of pines and ferns, the birds were singing -perhaps serenading one another- and I was mighty glad to see the little buds on the maple and birch trees. There appears to be a restlessness everywhere and in every creature, a longing to get out of closed and stuffy places, a craving to release your spirit and be careless and free, a wish to soar on the winds and sing at the top of your lungs. Even the usually placid farm animals are touched with symptoms of spring fever. The sheep, not...

Here is the next part of the  Tales of the Animals on a Borrowed Farm. I felt that I must post this soon, for I have so many new things to write about; I am afraid that if I do not get them written down, they will escape my memory like a bunch of jailbreakers! Enjoy! ... Brownie B rownie was a Nubian goat. Goats of her breed did not grow big horns, and were, therefore, very gentle. When Bear bought Brownie, she was just a kid. She lost her mother, so she had to be fed milk from a bottle. Brownie loved Bear’s children very much, and to them, she was almost like another sibling. She grew up to be a strong and healthy goat, and she was very fond of running around in the fields. When she first came to the farm, it was almost as if Billy took her under his wing. The two became close friends quickly and I can still see them, running about behind the children. Billy and Brownie were often found doing naughty things. I believe that it was Brownie who gave Billy the idea to cra...

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...