I've been for many a year working where I live with my
master friend and his missus on the farm, my duties include
keeping the rat population at bay, and chasing rabibits, I go
with my master about his duties keeping the farm in order,
walling and fencing, taking the livestock to and from the
cattle markets, creating havoc at the annual haymaking time,
rounding up the sheep. I also have the duty of raising the
alarm when stranger are in the vicinity. Every night I lie in
front of the kitchen fire after having had a good supper and
now want to have a earned rest.
Of late time it catching up with me and it has become very
difficult for me to perform my favourite and best daily duty
which is bringing the cattle up the field twice a a day for
milking. Gone are the days when I could cavort from one
side of the herd to the other, chasing all the slow and stray
cows into line. But the master has come up with an idea, he
takes me to the gate and I sit there and the cows see me and
know it is time for them to come up the field for milking and
do so giving me a wink and a kind look as they pass through
the gate.
Rishton Tom
(Lancashire Heeler)
A true story
Copyright A Bancroft
