Welcome to Homeschool Story Time: Week 44.
In this week’s story, an English farmer loses his sheep in a winter storm one early December.
He, his men, and his dog go out in the bitter cold to look for them.
Will he be able to find them before they freeze?
Read on to find out what happens.
How the Sheep Were Saved
by Anna Livingston
Many years ago a farmer, living in the county of Somerset, England, on rising one morning early in December, found that the weather had grown bitterly cold. Looking out of the window, he saw that it had been snowing fast through the night.
Such a storm, indeed, had not been known for a long, long time. The wind was blowing hard, and the snow was still falling steadily.
Now, the farmer had a great many sheep, and had not yet housed them for the winter. They were out on the hills in the open air, without any shelter.
“My poor sheep!” exclaimed the farmer. “They will be buried in the snow. They will perish with the cold.”
He dressed as quickly as possible, called all his men, and his good dog Watch, and started out. It was slow work getting through the snow-drifts. Poor Watch was almost buried sometimes. But the men helped him out, and on he ran again, leaping after them like the good faithful dog he was. At last they came to the place where the sheep had been left. Not one could be seen; but in a corner of the field there was a huge pile of snow, about which Watch began to scratch and howl.
By this they knew that the sheep were all huddled under the snow. The men set to work with their shovels; but for some time no sound came from the sheep. It was so cold that some of the men got discouraged, and wanted to give up the search, and go home.
“Go, if you choose,” said the farmer; “but I shall stay and dig till I find my sheep.”
This made the men feel ashamed, and they picked up their shovels and went to work again.
“Wait a bit,” said the farmer: “let me listen.”
He put his ear close to the wall of snow, and heard a faint “Ba-a-ah” through it. Then they knew that one sheep at least was alive. So they dug away briskly and in a few minutes they pulled it out.
Watch took charge of it at once, pressing his warm body against the frosty fleece, and licking its face and feet to warm them.
So, one after another, the sheep were drawn out of their snow-cave, and then the men drove them home. Some of the small and feeble ones they had to carry in their arms, wrapping their cloaks about the little creatures to protect them from the sharp wind.
The snow beat in the faces of the men so that it almost blinded them; and it was very difficult, both for themselves and the poor weak sheep, to make their way through the great drifts.
They were glad enough, you may be sure, when they got safely back to the farm. There the sheep were soon put in a comfortable shed, and fed with warm milk to restore their strength. The poor animals would certainly have died, but for the kind care that was taken of them.
The farmer thanked his men for staying to help him. His wife gave them a good hot breakfast; and I think they enjoyed it all the more for having saved the poor, helpless sheep from perishing under the snow.
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Many blessings,
