Flora Fleece

By Bryan Anthony

A young ewe has an unexpected encounter

with a wild stag. With his encouragement,

she is determined to find a way

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Mar 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9781684866687

Book preview

FLORA

FLEECE

BRYAN ANTHONY

Flora Fleece

Copyright © 2024 by Bryan Anthony. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

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Book design copyright © 2024 by URLink Print and Media. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024900248

ISBN 978-1-68486-665-6 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68486-668-7 (Digital)

26.12.23

Contents

Chapter 1 FIRSTBORN

Chapter 2 QUESTIONS

Chapter 3 THE ENCOUNTER

Chapter 4 PREDATORS

Chapter 5 BE A SHEEP

Chapter 6 TRAINING TIME

Chapter 7 SWEET, SWEET GRASS

Chapter 8 REBELLION

Chapter 9 FAILURE

Chapter 10 WINTER’S EVE

Chapter 11 KINDNESS

Chapter 12 A NEW FRIEND

Chapter 13 FIGHT TIME

Chapter 14 LEAP OF FAITH

Chapter

1

FIRSTBORN

The first lamb was born in the early hours of an icy cold morning on the last day of February. She was delivered into the world a full month before any of the other lambs started to appear in the flock. Due to the wintery conditions, her mother had been taken into the warmth of the sheep shed to deliver the offspring. Here, the strong stone walls blocked the icy blasts of wind, and there was ample straw to insulate the mother and lamb from the bitterly cold earth floor. The tiny newborn was able to get warmth by snuggling into her mother’s thick wooly coat. They were kept inside for two weeks, until the lamb was considered strong enough to be allowed into the winter air. There remained a thin covering of patchy snow on the ground when the lamb was moved into the field. Before she was released into the harshness of the environment, the farmer’s young daughter tied a brown wool cape around the lamb. The little girl secured this in place with strong twine, lovingly tied in strong double knots.

The early birth made the first lamb an individual from the start. The most immediate and obvious difference was the colour of her legs. All the other sheep had black legs. The legs on this infant were covered in pure white wool. Her mother was very concerned about this. Although she was a little worried that the difference in colouration may indicate some physical weakness, her main concern was what the other sheep in the flock would think about it. She would soon have her answer. As the mother and infant stepped out of the sheep shed, and into the wintery outdoors, they were met by a posse of curious sheep. All of them were swollen with their own young, and were more than ready to give birth, to be relieved of their bodily pressures. The white legs were, of course, immediately noticeable to the nosey sheep, who began to close in around the little lamb, in order to get a closer look.

‘Oh dear, look at those white legs!’, one exclaimed. This was immediately followed by a chorus of comments.

‘That is a bad omen’, said a second ewe.

‘It can only bring bad luck’ said another. And all of the sheep in the flock had something to baa about the subject.

A ram pushed his way through the crowd, and looked down at the frightened lamb. ‘Oh!’, he said, ‘What on earth?’. He was the father, and the white legs were just as much a surprise to him, as the others. He could see that all this was making the young lamb nervous, and the mother, who had always been a meek sheep, was believing every word. The father knew this would make her even more worried about life in general. She seemed to attract thoughts to add to her fears. ‘OK, OK’, he shouted out to the noisy mothers to be. ‘Move aside and let them through!’ The crowd reluctantly parted, and the father escorted his family out to a clear area of the field. They could hear the other sheep continuing with their baaing gossip. The youngster had already caused a commotion in the flock, and that was without trying. It was hint of things to come.

Mother and father found a space away from the other sheep, and scrutinised their fluffy white infant.

‘I have never seen such a thing in my life’, said the ram. ‘White legs. I can’t believe my eyes!’

‘Maybe I did something wrong?’, the mother was ridden with guilt.

‘It’s just a freak of nature. There is nothing we can do about it’. The male realised that they had to accept the situation. ‘She is our child and we shall bring her up to be like any other sheep’.

‘Yes, yes I know. We must love her as if she had black legs like all the others’, mother agreed.

Four weeks passed, and the first lamb was growing