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Young World
Just a bit of summer fun
NIMI KURIAN
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Hound wanted to create some mischief in the farm to liven up the atmosphere. After all, it was summer!
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Summer is often the best time in the farm and Hound thought so too. But he also thought that the animals needed a bit of fun. “Hey Pig!” he shouted. “Looks like you are a bit of out of shape. You’re putting on weight!”
“Hound! Round is a shape! Oink!” So saying he rolled over and wallowed in the mud. Not in the least put out, Hound went to see Chicken.
“Hey Chicken. Looks like you’re putting on weight.”
“Oh! Am I?” said a melancholy Chicken. “I haven’t been eating too well. The new rooster eats up all the grain that’s put out.”
Hound was not disheartened. He ran up to sheep. “Hey Sheep!” he shouted. Sheep was taking a power nap and was rudely awakened.
Diet fads
“Looks like you have become fatter.”
“Yes, Hound. Didn’t you know that the shearers haven’t been as yet?”
Another failed attempt! For a last try he went up to Sophie, the beautiful cow.
“Sophie, Sophie! What happened to you. You have put on so much weight!”
Poor Sophie was so upset. Her big, brown eyes filled with tears and she bellowed mournfully. Hound giggled.
“Oh! What shall I do? If I put on weight, I will lose my beauty and then…oh! What will happen to me?”
“Hang on! Hang on!” said Hound. “Mmmm! You could go on a diet. And of course you could do some exercise.”
“Diet? Exercise?” Sophie sounded doubtful. “How can I do that?”
“Well, when Mr. Farmer brings you your lunch don’t eat it! That could be a beginning. As for exercise…mmmmm! let me think…” Scratching his head, Hound appeared to be thinking hard.
“Aah! I’ve got it! You can ask Sultan to help you. Sultan, the horse is in absolutely fit condition. Look at him…”
Sophie agreed and she decided to ask Sultan.
At lunchtime, Sophie just nibbled at her feed and walked away. Mr. Farmer was worried. Sophie had never refused food before! Sophie fixed up her fitness schedule with Sultan. It was to begin at daybreak.
“A couple of canters around the field, some light exercises and a brisk walk in the evening. You’ll see the diffference in a week!”
Mr. Farmer could hardly sleep that night because he was worried about Sophie’s behaviour. Early in the morning he was still tossing and turning when he distinctly heard the sound of pounding hooves. He jumped out of bed. Mrs. Farmer woke up. “Where are you off to at this ungodly hour?” she asked
“There’s mischief afoot in the field. I need to go and check.”
“In that case take the gun along. If there are burglars, you don’t want to be unarmed.”
So Mr. Farmer, gun in hand tip-toed out of the house. He saw Pig, Chicken, Sheep, Lamb and Goat lined up watching something happening in the field.
Sophie and Sultan had just finished their canters and were beginning on their ‘light exercises’.
“Hup! Two! Three! Four!” shouted Sultan as he swung his hindlegs, forelegs and tail in different directions.
Sophie tried to follow suit, swinging her legs and tail and shaking her head about so much she was dizzy. And just as Mr. Farmer crept up, Sophie’s legs and tail and head and horns got entangled and down she came in a heap. All the animals laughed. They had never seen such a comical sight ever! Sultan was disgusted. Never, had he seen such a sloppy display.
Mr. Farmer ran up to the fallen Sophie.
“Sophie! Sophie! What are you doing?”
“I am trying to lose weight,” she replied.
“But why?”
“Because Hound said I was putting on weight!”
Mr. Farmer was so angry with Hound, that he was kept in his kennel for the rest of the week.
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