Toby: Original,

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23773, 28 September 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Toby: Original,

by Lesley Riach (14)

THE south-west wind blew coldly over the little plateau, and the tiny new-born lamb snuggled closer to its woolly mother. "M-me-m!" The lamb rose unsteadily and walked jerkily round its mother's ample and woolly form. Slowly the old ewe stood up, making queer little "mothering" noises as she did so. With a bound the lamb was drinking, but his mother suddenly walked off and left him staring stupidly around. But not for long. Coming around the side of a neighbouring hill he 6aw a large brown animal with a queer hump on its hack.

"Me-e-eh," lio cried in his frightened penny-squeakerish voice. "Me-e-eh!" His mother came running back with an anxious face and comforting little cries. "Oh, what is it?" he whimpered. "It's a nasty horse," she answered, "with a human child on its hack. See, here comes a man, too, and all his terrifying dogs. "Me-e-eh," said the lamb intelligently. "We'll just go out of their way, my dear," said his mother. "Ton keep close to me and you'll bo all right." Away she went, with the lamb hopping along beside her. . "There's another new lamb, Dad," said the little girl on the big brown horse. "Aren't they frequent now?" "Yes," replied her father absently. "See that one down there," she continued. pointing in the direction of the retreating ewe and lamb. "I'm sure its mother calls it Toby." Her father gave no answer and she continued to prattle in her childish fashion. But the next morning when sho again saw the ewe and lamb she remembered the name.

"Toby," she said to herself. "It just suits him, because he's so cute."

This time, the ewe heard her talking to herself, and thinking " Toby " sounded respectable, she told her lamb, that to all intents and purposes, ho was now "Toby." This suited the lamb very well, for "Toby" sounded rather nice to him; so like a dutiful little lamb, he said, "Me-c-eh" in a very grateful fashion, and ambled off to inspect a hollow log a short distance away. It was a very interesting log, and after Toby had smelt it all over, he climbed on to it and walked its whole length slowly and solemnly. Turning at tho other end, he broke into a little run, and soon he was careering madly and gaily, up and down, up and down. At each end he gave a jump, but, alas! "Pride goes before a fall." He "was just turning with an airy leap, when, crash I The rotten bark had given way and his front legs were imprisoned. He struggled and struggled, but in vain. He was caught. His mother came up to see what all the fuss was about.

"Oh, dear," she moaned, "I've never had this happen before." "Why, I do believe it's Toby," said a soft childish voice, and with a quick movement the little girl slid from her horse and freed the now frantic lamb. "Oh Ma," said Toby, 'Tm so thirsty," and he had a long drink. One day when the clouds were chasing one another across the brilliant sky, all the ewes with lambs were headed into a small yard, and the lambs were

docked. That was an experience Toby never liked to remember. But he found himself chuckling When he saw the other lambs trying to wag' their tails. He spent 'the summer growing fat and lazy. At Christmas time he was shorn, and although glad to feci a little cooler, he spent an anxious time getting his mother to recognise him. "You little scarecrow," she said. "No self-respecting son of mine would ever look like you."

"Oh, Ma," he said despairingly. "It reially is Toby." "Well, I don't believe it." This in a haughty tone, and she bunted him cruelly with her hard head, "Go away, you impudent little baggage." With head held high and stamping feet, she marched atfay, followed by the hapless Toby. "My son, my son, where is my son," cried the silly old ewe. She was answered by several lambs, and spent a useless ton minutes, sniffing each of them. "Ma, ma, ma," cried Tobv.

At last she became reconciled trToby's altered appearance and advise;' him in no uncertain terms, to grow his wool ns fast as lie possibly could. Although lie was quite big by now, ho was still young enough to frolic.

Early in January, all the lambs were separated from their mothers, and after being given a dose of bluestonc, were put out on the back paddocks, to thrive in tho bracing sea air and the cool winds which wander across high hills. Toby was heartbroken at being separated from his mother, but ho soon got over it, and applied himself to the problem of finding food for himself.

Slowly summer passed away, and the golden autumn days rolled peacefully by. Soon the winter came blustering in, with freezing "tfinds and driving rain. Sometimes the days would be clear and fresh, and these were the days when tho lambs seemed to recapture something of their almost forgotten babyhood. Their "hearts were light and gay," and, although they did not grow very fat, they wore in the pink of health. So passed Toby's first year of life. He was not really an unusual lamb, for I think most lambs experience "ivhat he did, but ho embodied the undying spirit and personality of all the lambs that ever were, or ever will be. And his cute appearance when he was young may be taken for the essence of lamby looks, ono of the things which endears so many baby creatures to the hearts of human boys and girls.