Rosamund Nesbit Bland

“ She was smaller than the other poppies, but she looked at him with her beautiful black eye and said, "Dear little calf, I have watched you looking through the hedge every day, and I love you and will come and live in your field. Take me gently in your mouth and pull me up."
But just as he was going to do it the poppy cried out: "Quick, little calf, quick! I hear the farmer's footsteps. If he finds you here he will beat you. You must go back without me." And the little calf scrambled back through the hole in the hedge just as the farmer came up. ”

“ Well, Pansy walked away and ate the buttercups but she didn't feel better. "I knew I shouldn't," she said to herself. "I shall go and seek my fortune."
Now it happened that Jim, the stable boy, had left the gate of the field open, and Pansy slipped through without anyone seeing her.
"I can't go alone," she said; "I must find some other cow to go with me."
She walked down the lane, stopping every now and then to nibble a twig from the hedge.
"Everything tastes much sweeter out here," she said. "I'm glad I came." ”

“ Of course we know that Pansy had never been out of her field before, but Reddy thought she had travelled a great deal and followed her humbly.
They walked a long way
down the lane until they came to the crossroads.
"Which way shall we go?" said Pansy; "you may choose."
"Let's go different ways," said Reddy. "I don't expect we shall find two fortunes growing on one tree, so it will be better to go different ways."
You see, Reddy and Pansy did not know at all what fortunes were. ”

“ His horns had been gilded. He gave one look at the cows looking over the gate, as the procession turned the corner, and that was the last they saw of him. Daisy had quite forgotten her quarrel with Buttercup, and they both walked away from the gate, talking of the wonderful things they had just seen, and especially of the bull.
"Don't you think, Butty," said Daisy, "that we could do something for the bull? He must be dreadfully cold without his proper coat. I feel so sorry for him." ”

“ Of course the farmer was terribly angry when he saw all his corn trampled down, and he sent some men to fill up the hole in the hedge at once, so that our little calf couldn't get his dear poppy.
Now time went on and our little calf began to grow up, and he did all sorts of dreadful things, because he still loved everything that was red. He chased an old lady all down the lane because she was wearing a red shawl and he wanted to rub his head head against it.
He ate up the paint-rag belonging to a man, who came to paint the cows in the cornfield, because it was covered with red
paint. ”

“ Let's see if he is as brave and as quick at bull-fights as he says. We can't give him a bull-fight but we can show him what cows can do. In his bull-fights there were always a lot of horses and only one bull. Well, in our cow fight there will be only one horse and a great many cows. Now, all of you, when he comes to speak to us this morning, put down your horns and run at him!'"
"Oh, Brownie, Brownie! ”

“ Presently she saw some more cows in a field, and she mooed to make them look at her.
"Will any of you come and seek your fortunes with me?" she called. None of them spoke, but a large old cow sitting under the hedge said sharply: "Cows don't have fortunes, so it's no use seeking them."
Pansy was walking away when she heard a soft voice say:
"I will come with you," and, looking round, saw a brown cow, with short horns, following her. She was very glad to have someone to go with her ”

“ If you had ever seen our Sussex brown you would know how very truthful she is. I used sometimes to go to her house, and sit by the door in the evening, after milking-time, and listen to the stories she would tell me. She knew many very different stories but she was most fond of this one. I will tell it to you just as she used to tell it to me.
"You know, my dear," she would begin, "I did not always
live at this farm. ”

“ We didn't wear harness as horses do here, but what our toreadors
called "trappings." And these trappings were made of bright red cloth. Our toreadors were dressed in scarlet, too, and carried little pieces of red silk in their hands. ”