ONCE UPON A TIME…

not so long ago (about three weeks ago fact) there was a small family farm nestled in the Northfield mountains. The family raised pigs, cows, chickens, sheep, bees and kids. One day the kids got noisy and scared the two new steers away that the daddy had only picked up the day before! The steers were scared so much that they bolted out of their pen, through a locked gate and out into the open, one went one way the other went the other way. “Oh no”! The family cried……(actually it was more like *%$#@X#) !!!!

Well, the townsfolk of the area were great. Being animal people themselves there were many opinions as to where they might have gone. Some said the steers would not have separated, that they would have found each other. Some said they would be hiding in the woods looking our every move and stories were told of the steers finding other herds to join. The townspeople searched high and they searched low, they searched every field, every farm in the neighborhood. Ten days went by and no one saw a thing. The daddy of the house searched every day in every corner of the woods around the farm and beyond. They seemed to have vanished, two large brown and white animals, hungry for grass had just vanished! Everyone was concerned and there was so much help, but alas, to no avail. Then someone spotted a cow Stony Brook way and hope was reborn.

Several more days passed then along came the cavalry… 4 magnificent horses with riders, ropes and dogs by their side all the way from far away land known as New York State. “We saw you lost your steers on Craigslist” they said and for some treasure they came: confident of success. For 5 hours they searched high and they searched low, looking in every field and every farm in the neighborhood…. but nothing! Then, in the last ten minutes of their efforts they thought they should check out the woods behind the small family farm and with in just a few minutes the steers were found, the dogs had picked up the scent, the steers were lassoed and brought back home! There they had been sitting in the woods, watching, waiting and… both together, near our other herd as the wise ones had predicted.

There was much rejoicing and the animals and the family lived happily ever after (a little financially poorer for the experience and a little more tired than before) but a bit wiser in the ways of the animal kingdom. The family and the animals wish to express a big and sincere THANKYOU to all of their fantastic neighbors who, in a time of need put themselves out to help their fellow folk in need.

Thanks again Northfield neighbors! From the Perry’s at Perry Family Farm

THE END