I knew it would end badly. It was that moment when Mum walked purposefully across the yard and announced that one of our Farmer Friend's sheep was stuck in brambles by the pond.
"Harvey and I could see it - poor thing. I have brought Harvey back and I will return, Gordon."
She looked resolute. Determined. The sort of look that said 'If I need an amphibious excavator, I will get one'. Instead she reached for the old gloves by the kettle.
"I know that the Farmer will soon be round on his Quad Bike, Gordon - please don't look so disapproving - but his friends have left him there and gone off."
I sighed. And off went Mum. Harvey craned his neck to follow her progress until she was out of sight and confided in us that if he had been allowed to help, the sheep would have very soon been brambleless. We didn't doubt him for a moment.
All was peaceful for a while. Then we heard the mutterings getting closer. Mum was back.
"Well Gordon. It is done. The worst bit came when I had to get under the barbed wire fence. I picked the highest of the bottom strands and tried to crawl under. But I got stuck. By the anorak. Free it I could not. I had to sink into the mud and I dread-to-think-what-else, and then wriggle out of the coat so as to extricate the barb from the back. Having done that I was away! The poor creature was tangled in some gigantic thorns and was dangling over the pond in a most precarious fashion. But all was well Gordon - it soon ran off to find it's friends."
And I for one am most grateful for that.
"But look Gordon! My poor coat!"
And sure enough, along with an array of sheep's wool on the lower strand of the barbed wire fence were Mum's Polyfibres. You could hardly tell the difference! Gordon xx
"Harvey and I could see it - poor thing. I have brought Harvey back and I will return, Gordon."
She looked resolute. Determined. The sort of look that said 'If I need an amphibious excavator, I will get one'. Instead she reached for the old gloves by the kettle.
"I know that the Farmer will soon be round on his Quad Bike, Gordon - please don't look so disapproving - but his friends have left him there and gone off."
I sighed. And off went Mum. Harvey craned his neck to follow her progress until she was out of sight and confided in us that if he had been allowed to help, the sheep would have very soon been brambleless. We didn't doubt him for a moment.
All was peaceful for a while. Then we heard the mutterings getting closer. Mum was back.
"Well Gordon. It is done. The worst bit came when I had to get under the barbed wire fence. I picked the highest of the bottom strands and tried to crawl under. But I got stuck. By the anorak. Free it I could not. I had to sink into the mud and I dread-to-think-what-else, and then wriggle out of the coat so as to extricate the barb from the back. Having done that I was away! The poor creature was tangled in some gigantic thorns and was dangling over the pond in a most precarious fashion. But all was well Gordon - it soon ran off to find it's friends."
And I for one am most grateful for that.
"But look Gordon! My poor coat!"
And sure enough, along with an array of sheep's wool on the lower strand of the barbed wire fence were Mum's Polyfibres. You could hardly tell the difference! Gordon xx
