The Walrus Mutterer by Mandy Haggith

Author:Mandy Haggith [Haggith, Mandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Saraband
Published: 2018-03-01T16:16:13+00:00

Summer

As the summer wore on, the days grew longer.

One calm day, the midges were driving Rian almost demented in the field. Gurda shouted ‘Basket,’ from where she was weeding and Rian stood, wearily, slapping her neck where an insect was biting. A weird pulsing tone made her pause and look up. She couldn’t see the bird but knew what it was: a snipe, drumming. For some reason it reminded her of Buia, and that made her think of the times they had spent out on the hills together collecting herbs. Many of the weeds they were pulling up from the field were useful. It was a shame simply to dump them. They should be drying them, or at least letting the cattle have the benefit, not just tossing them out in the corner of the field to rot.

She lifted her head and took Gurda’s basket, replacing it with her own. ‘I’m going to give some of these to the cows. They’re good for milk.’

‘That’s not our job.’

‘I don’t care.’

She heaved the basket onto her back. It was always awkward to do it without someone helping, but neither Gurda nor Fi were willing to offer a hand. Holding the strap with both hands, one on each side of her forehead to take the strain, she lugged it up to the weed heap. There, instead of simply tipping it out, she separated out the palatable herbs. The docks and thistles and bracken could stay but the sweet grass and tender herbs, like dandelion, tormentil, violets and skullcap, would be appreciated by a suckling cow, so she tore the roots of them and knocked the earth off. Did they like creeping buttercup? She would find out. The groundsel was so useful it was a shame to waste it even on cattle. As for sorrel, well, she’d eat it herself, right there and then. She chewed a tangy mouthful and set off with the lighter basket to befriend a cow.

It didn’t take her long. She had watched Fi do everything wrong: getting too close too quickly, so they took off at a run, then waving her arms and shouting, frightening them with her own fear. Rian liked cows. She knew how to be with them. She wandered up to the nearest cow, a black, hairy creature with a calf in tow. As she got close the cow stopped grazing to stare at her. The calf was curious. She talked to them in simple language and a low voice.

‘Hello cow. I’ve got some tasty green stuff. You might like it.’

She put the basket down and lifted a handful of grass out. It was longer and lusher than the thin blades growing among the heather. The cow was interested. Rian guessed she had probably been fed from a basket in previous years. If she wasn’t made afraid she might be biddable.

She was. She came close, snuffling at the grass in this stranger’s hand, then accepting it. Her big grey tongue rasped Rian’s fingers. The calf explored the intoxicating smells in the basket, then allowed itself to be scratched between the ears.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.