Читать книгу Shadow, the Sheep-Dog - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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On the farm were many dogs. There was Jessie, Shadow’s mother, who guarded the house and yard. Then there were Tinker, Rafe, Dandy, and Bob, all sheep-dogs except Bob, who was a mongrel. He was a queer-looking dog, with a big head, long body, feathery tail, and strong, swift-running legs. He was black and brown and had a curly coat.

Shadow was afraid of Bob. Bob was not playful, and growled if Shadow came near. He belonged to Andy the shepherd, and lived with him in his little hut on the hillside. The other dogs lived on the farm itself, but often went with Andy to round up the sheep.

Tinker was a friendly dog, whose tail was always wagging, and who was ready to push his nose into anybody’s hand. Shadow loved him and ran with him whenever he could.

“You’re growing!” said Tinker to Shadow. “Time you learnt something, young pup!”

“I’ve learnt a lot!” said Shadow. “I’m a clever dog. Johnny says so.”

Tinker sprang at Shadow in play and rolled him over. Shadow tried to get away, but Tinker held him by the neck and he couldn’t.

“Not so clever as you thought you were!” said Tinker. “If a dog springs on you, you shouldn’t turn over on your back like that, young pup. Stand firm!”

Rafe and Dandy came up, their tails wagging. They were all good friends. Rafe was a wonderful sheep-dog, and had won many prizes for his cleverness in rounding up sheep on the hillside. Dandy was clever, too, but had a bad habit of going off by himself at times, which made the farmer angry.

The three dogs had a rough-and-tumble fight, pretending to snap and growl at one another, each trying to get hold of the other’s throat. Shadow watched them.

“Let me join in,” he said, and in the pup went, putting his small strength against the grown dogs. They were kind to him and let him worry them and snap at their ears.

“You’ll be a strong dog one day!” said Dandy, shaking Shadow off, and pushing him right over. “We’ll teach you a few things each day now. Come along and see us round up the sheep to-morrow.”

“But be careful of Bob,” said Tinker. “He won’t stand any nonsense from you, young pup. If he tells you to do anything, you do it!”

Shadow ran joyfully to Johnny, his tail wagging hard. “Wuff!” he barked. “I’m to go and join the big dogs to-morrow. What do you think of that, Johnny?”

“I THINK YOU’RE JUST THE MOST MARVELLOUS PUPPY IN THE WORLD!” SAID JOHNNY.

“I think you’re just the most marvellous puppy in the world!” said Johnny, patting the fat little puppy on the head.

The next day Shadow ran off to the shepherd’s hut with Tinker, Rafe, and Dandy. Bones and biscuits, how grand he felt to be out with the big dogs! He found it difficult to run as fast as they did, but he did his best.

“Now listen to me,” said Tinker. “The sheep are on these two hills to-day, but the shepherd wants them to go to the next hill. We’ve got to take them there.”

“What do we do then?” asked Shadow. “Just go in front and lead them?”

“Listen to him!” said Bob, who was near by, looking rather bad-tempered, for he always thought that he could manage to do all the work alone, and he didn’t like the other dogs coming along to join him. “Silly little pup! You try leading the sheep, puppy! Run along and wuff to them and tell them all to follow you!”

“All right, Bob,” said Shadow, who felt sure he could manage anything. He had always been told that sheep were very stupid, but surely they knew enough to follow a dog who was to take them to a new hillside.

So off went Shadow, wagging his tail. Bob sat down to watch, his pink tongue hanging out. The other three ran around, sniffing, but all of them watched Shadow too. They knew quite well what was going to happen.

Shadow ran up to the nearest bunch of sheep and barked to them. “Wuff, wuff! Follow me! I will take you to a fine new hillside where the grass is green and sweet.”

As soon as Shadow came near the bunch of sheep, they all ran away. How very annoying!

Shadow ran after them. “Wuff! Don’t be frightened of me, sillies! Stay and listen.”

The sheep ran away again, and soon all the flock was galloping about in fright. Then the shepherd came out of his hut and shouted sternly to Shadow.

“Now then, you! What do you think you are doing? Leave the sheep alone. Chasing sheep like that—and you a sheep-dog too. You’ll be no use if you start that game! Bob—put the sheep in that corner, and keep them quiet until I’m ready to move them.”

Bob shot off like an arrow from a bow. He first went to Shadow and snapped at him, making that surprised little puppy rush off in fright, his tail between his legs. He ran to Tinker.

“Why is the shepherd cross? Why did Bob snap at me? Didn’t I do right?”

“Watch Bob,” said Rafe. All four dogs watched Bob. Bob ran all round the flock, making darts at any sheep that tried to get away. Soon he had them in a big bunch, and then running to and fro, he got them into a corner of the big hillside field. Then he lay down in front of them, watching, with one eye on his master, and one ear cocked to hear any further orders.

“Good dog, Bob,” shouted the shepherd. Bob cocked the other ear and wagged his tail a little.

“Did you see how Bob did that?” said Dandy. “You’ve got to make sheep do things, Shadow, not ask them! They are such stupid creatures that they can only run away—and your job is to make them run in the right direction, without frightening them too much.”

“Bob is very clever,” said Shadow. “Now what are we going to do? Are we going to take the sheep across to the other hill?”

The shepherd shouted to the dogs. “Hie, Rafe, Tinker, Dandy—go and help Bob. Take the sheep down the hill, across the bridge over the stream, through the gap in the hedge and on to the hill over there.”

He pointed with his stick as he spoke. The dogs went off at once, eager to be at work. Bob leapt to his feet and looked round at the other dogs. Shadow could quite well see that he was head of them all.

“Woof,” said Bob, and every dog knew what he meant. Rafe was to go behind the sheep. Tinker was to be on guard near the bridge to make sure that the sheep went over. Dandy was to run round them with Bob, and make them go the right way.

The shepherd went into his hut, and left the dogs to do their work. He knew that he could trust them.

Shadow went with Dandy. “Now keep up with me and do as I do,” panted Dandy. “It’s our job to keep the sheep in a bunch and to make them run out of this field, down the hill to the stream. Bob is taking that side of the flock, we’ll take this side. As soon as you see a sheep getting loose from the flock, run at it, and head it back.”

My goodness, what an exciting time Shadow had! The sheep were silly, and two or three would keep getting away from the flock. Shadow tore after them, ran round to the front of them and headed them back. He was so excited that he barked loudly.

“Stop that!” ordered Bob. “We only bark when we must. If you really frighten the sheep they will all run away and we’ll have a dreadful job getting them back. If you can’t hold your tongue, go back to the farm.”

Shadow was ashamed. He didn’t want to go back to the farm, with the hens, pigs and ducks. He wanted to be out here on the sunny hillside with the big dogs. So after that he didn’t bark once, though he badly wanted to.

THE THREE DOGS SOON GOT THE SHEEP OUT OF THE FIELD.

The three dogs soon got the sheep out of the field and down to the stream. Now each sheep had to run across the narrow plank, where Tinker was on guard. The sheep did not want to cross the bridge, and they did all they could to run along the bank. But Tinker was ready for them. He made one sheep go hurrying across the narrow bridge—and then all the others began to go too.

“Sheep love to follow one another,” said Dandy with a grin that showed all his white teeth. At first Shadow thought that Dandy was snarling at him, but when he saw his tail wagging, he knew that he wasn’t. He wagged his tail at Dandy.

“You see, once you can get one or two sheep going the right way, you can be pretty sure that all the rest will follow,” said Dandy.

“I see,” said Shadow. “Look—there’s a sheep going up the bank!” Off he went, headed the silly sheep back, and it trotted over the bridge with the others.

“Good pup!” said Dandy, and Shadow nearly fell into the water with pride. The sheep ran to the next hedge, with Rafe and Bob behind them. Tinker and Dandy kept them from spreading out sideways, for they had to make them all go through a gap in the hedge.

Shadow helped Dandy all he could, and the sheep went through the gap, jumping neatly across.

“Go with them, young pup, and see if you can keep them in a bunch,” said Dandy. So Shadow jumped through the gap too, and ran round the sheep to try and keep them in a bunch for Dandy.

It was hard because there were a great many sheep, and as soon as Shadow had got one right, another would run out, and he would have to get that one back too.

How he puffed and panted, for he was not used to such hard work! Dandy leapt through the gap and watched the puppy doing his best. All the sheep were now in the field, but Shadow was trying his hardest to bunch them.

Bob came up and snapped. “Stop!” he said. “What are you doing? The sheep don’t need to be bunched together now. Leave them alone to eat the grass.”

“It’s all right, Bob. I told him to bunch them just to see if he could!” barked Dandy. “Let them go, Shadow. You’ve done well.”

“Have I done well, please, Bob?” asked Shadow, very anxious indeed to get a good word from the bad-tempered mongrel.

“You’re not too bad,” said Bob, as he ran to meet the shepherd, who was now coming up the hillside, pleased that the dogs had taken the sheep along so well for him.

“I’m not too bad!” yelped Shadow, in delight, his tail wagging hard. “Bob says I’m not too bad! I’m off to tell Johnny. He will be pleased!”

And down the hill ran the little pup, his pink tongue hanging out, and his little heart beating fast with joy. “Johnny, Johnny!” he yelped. “I’m not too bad! Bob says so—and one day I’ll be as good as he is!”