This blog hop challenge, Ivy's Six Sentence Stories - Close, brought up this childhood memory.
A young girl, probably between five and seven years old, was running across the field to a fenced pasture where the dairy cows grazed. Her Dad had asked her to go open the gate so the cows could head towards the milking stanchions. Intent on what she needed to do, she climbed up the post so she could reach the wire to lift it up and over the post, but she paused and looked over at the cows. It was then that she saw him standing very close to one of the cows, and she knew instinctively she shouldn't open the gate. She hopped down and ran as fast as she could to tell her Dad that the neighbor's big Brahman bull was loose and in with the cows. That would have been a close and dangerous encounter for her had she opened the gate.
Oooo...good call. Theres a real sensibility even at an early age living on a farm...so many dangers.
ReplyDeleteSo true. My Dad had a young cousin who was dragged to death when a rope on an animal got wrapped around his leg.
DeleteGood story, Pat. The way you described the determination of the girl, they opening of the gate and the decision not to. Beautifully related memoir.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Val.
DeleteGood story. It's a good thing she was paying attention and was able to prevent a possible tragic event.
ReplyDeleteYes, it for surely was!
DeleteIt was a big job for a little girl to let the cows through the gate. It's a good thing she was a real farm girl and didn't do it!
ReplyDeleteAnd refusing to do "what Dad said" wasn't often done.
DeleteStrange that bulls are so jealous of us puny humans when we escort the girls to milking! This happened to me too when I was guiding the girls to the milking shed!
ReplyDeleteI hope you finished your chore unscathed!
DeleteI loved this because I think that farm-raised children are indeed taught to think and reason at a younger age than their city counterparts are sometimes required to do, they also often handle important duties as contributors to the family, such as this little girl did. She was wise indeed to know that it was better to seek out help rather than try to handle this situation on her own. We all should be so wise when we know that we are in dangerous situations. I am glad it worked out ok!
ReplyDeleteThose who grow up on farms learn a lot of things the city kids learn, but I suppose that could be said in reverse. I'm glad it the situation worked out ok too.
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