Star of Wonder Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: JoAnn S. Dawson
somehow and we can’t find him anywhere!”
Willie turned to Mary impatiently. “What the . . . got out of his stall?” he replied testily. “Can’t find him anywhere? Well,
you didn’t look too hard, did ya?” And he kept walking toward the newborn calf.
“Willie!” Jody insisted, following close behind. “What do you mean? He’s not in his stall, and he’s not out here . . . where
else could he be?”
“He’s right where he’s s’posed to be—out in the paddock, where he shoulda been first thing this mornin’ if you two lazybones
hadn’ta slept so late. Now, don’t bother me, I got to get your old plug Lady away from that calf—she’s actin’ crazy.”
Mary and Jody looked at each other in disbelief. “We never even looked in the paddock!” Mary cried, and then realized what
Willie had just said. “What do you mean, Willie? Who’s acting crazy?”
Willie turned again and almost tripped over the two girls. “Daggonit, I told ya not to bother me. Lady’s got some notion in
her noggin that the calf is hers. I guess since it’s black and white, it reminds her of Star. And her milk ain’t dried up
yet, so she’s just gone a little crazy. She keeps lickin’ the calf and tryin’ to keep the cow away. And the cow ain’t too
happy, either.”
And it was true—every time the poor cow took a step toward her calf, Lady pinned her ears, stomped her foot, and bared her
teeth until the cow backed away in bewilderment. Then Lady turned and tenderly licked the top of the calf’s head, nudging
it gently toward her udder as if to help it nurse. The calf stood between the two, bawling in confusion.
“Oh, poor Lady!” Jody cried. “She misses Star so much! She’s having a harder time than he is!”
“Well, I can’t help that,” Willie replied matter-of-factly. “That calf’s got to nurse, and it ain’t gonna be on Lady. Here,
Jody, put this lead rope on her. She might not put up a fuss if you lead her away. I’ll take care of the calf.”
Jody fastened the lead to Lady’s halter and turn her head toward the willow tree while Mary patted her on the rump for encouragement.
“C’mon, Lad, let’s go see Gypsy. She misses you!” Mary prodded.
Every time the poor cow took a step toward her calf, Lady pinned her ears and stomped her feet.
But Lady would have none of the idea of leaving her newly adopted calf. She planted her feet and would not move, and when
Willie leaned down and wrapped his arms around the calf, picking it up in one quick motion to carry it to its mother, Lady
reacted with a loud, high-pitched whinny. An instant later, a distraught whinny came in reply from the other side of the barn.
“Oh, no!” the girls groaned in unison. But the whinny from Star had the desired effect of making Lady forget her new baby
and remember her old one, and she almost pulled the lead rope from Jody’s hand in her haste to get to the gate and whinny
back.
“Boy, she sure is fickle!” Mary laughed.
“She’s what?” Jody replied crankily as Lady dragged her toward the gate.
“That means, ‘not firm or steadfast.’ That word was on my vocabulary test last week!”
At the gate, Jody unhooked the lead rope. Lady broke away, trotting up and down the fence line and whinnying in distress as
the girls watched helplessly. Willie appeared just as she cantered back to the gate, stopped in her tracks, and with head
up and ears forward, gazed longingly in the direction of Star’s paddock.
“I got the cow and calf in the barnyard, and he’s nursin’ right good,” he said casually. “Too bad Lady’s takin’ all this so
hard.”
“Willie, look, I think she’s actually crying!” Jody said, pointing at the wet marks that had suddenly appeared in streaks
from Lady’s eyes almost to her muzzle. “Can animals cry?”
Willie took off his hat and scratched the side of his head. “Well, truth be told, it ain’t the first time I seen an animal
Willie turned to Mary impatiently. “What the . . . got out of his stall?” he replied testily. “Can’t find him anywhere? Well,
you didn’t look too hard, did ya?” And he kept walking toward the newborn calf.
“Willie!” Jody insisted, following close behind. “What do you mean? He’s not in his stall, and he’s not out here . . . where
else could he be?”
“He’s right where he’s s’posed to be—out in the paddock, where he shoulda been first thing this mornin’ if you two lazybones
hadn’ta slept so late. Now, don’t bother me, I got to get your old plug Lady away from that calf—she’s actin’ crazy.”
Mary and Jody looked at each other in disbelief. “We never even looked in the paddock!” Mary cried, and then realized what
Willie had just said. “What do you mean, Willie? Who’s acting crazy?”
Willie turned again and almost tripped over the two girls. “Daggonit, I told ya not to bother me. Lady’s got some notion in
her noggin that the calf is hers. I guess since it’s black and white, it reminds her of Star. And her milk ain’t dried up
yet, so she’s just gone a little crazy. She keeps lickin’ the calf and tryin’ to keep the cow away. And the cow ain’t too
happy, either.”
And it was true—every time the poor cow took a step toward her calf, Lady pinned her ears, stomped her foot, and bared her
teeth until the cow backed away in bewilderment. Then Lady turned and tenderly licked the top of the calf’s head, nudging
it gently toward her udder as if to help it nurse. The calf stood between the two, bawling in confusion.
“Oh, poor Lady!” Jody cried. “She misses Star so much! She’s having a harder time than he is!”
“Well, I can’t help that,” Willie replied matter-of-factly. “That calf’s got to nurse, and it ain’t gonna be on Lady. Here,
Jody, put this lead rope on her. She might not put up a fuss if you lead her away. I’ll take care of the calf.”
Jody fastened the lead to Lady’s halter and turn her head toward the willow tree while Mary patted her on the rump for encouragement.
“C’mon, Lad, let’s go see Gypsy. She misses you!” Mary prodded.
Every time the poor cow took a step toward her calf, Lady pinned her ears and stomped her feet.
But Lady would have none of the idea of leaving her newly adopted calf. She planted her feet and would not move, and when
Willie leaned down and wrapped his arms around the calf, picking it up in one quick motion to carry it to its mother, Lady
reacted with a loud, high-pitched whinny. An instant later, a distraught whinny came in reply from the other side of the barn.
“Oh, no!” the girls groaned in unison. But the whinny from Star had the desired effect of making Lady forget her new baby
and remember her old one, and she almost pulled the lead rope from Jody’s hand in her haste to get to the gate and whinny
back.
“Boy, she sure is fickle!” Mary laughed.
“She’s what?” Jody replied crankily as Lady dragged her toward the gate.
“That means, ‘not firm or steadfast.’ That word was on my vocabulary test last week!”
At the gate, Jody unhooked the lead rope. Lady broke away, trotting up and down the fence line and whinnying in distress as
the girls watched helplessly. Willie appeared just as she cantered back to the gate, stopped in her tracks, and with head
up and ears forward, gazed longingly in the direction of Star’s paddock.
“I got the cow and calf in the barnyard, and he’s nursin’ right good,” he said casually. “Too bad Lady’s takin’ all this so
hard.”
“Willie, look, I think she’s actually crying!” Jody said, pointing at the wet marks that had suddenly appeared in streaks
from Lady’s eyes almost to her muzzle. “Can animals cry?”
Willie took off his hat and scratched the side of his head. “Well, truth be told, it ain’t the first time I seen an animal