Dolphin Address 22
December 26th 2007
Come, are you coming? Yeah, yeah, we will, honest, just tuck my chilblains into my boots. Just a sec, let me stick that bent key into this stubborn lock. OK, here we go and not on the road, hey, we’ll go through the spring gate. Come on, here it smells so much more doggie.
‘Wonder what Fergal’s line-up is today. Aha, four horses in the centerfield, only ‘Three Socks’ coming forward. Two of our own donkeys are in the feeding field and the other two in the back-up field. And would you look at that, the rack is almost empty. See, that makes you go do it, that’ll take two sacks of hay. Feck these slippery steps, I have half a mind to climb them on all fours.
‘Right, I’m going to bag some slices of hay, while you sniff out the mice. Haven’t we grown handy in this? Fresh from the roll, compact in the sack, then shake it out in the rack and pull it apart, as if instead of the bed you make the food. How I love the smell of hay! It’s so recalling childhood memories.
‘Right, now a sack across the gate for the reservation donkeys and next comes the pinnacle: the pin out of the ring and ‘open Sesame’. Up the lid of the old freezer and there the abundance of oat flakes and in it the shiny tray. No, no, I do not like bold donkeys, back off you, and you too. Your turn will come, surely now the other three horses seem to have been fed. Take a look at this pallet, don’t I spread it evenly around? Yep, that’s the idea, a crop circle! OK, times three and look, the pigeons are pecking a bit as well, peace on Earth, at least in the feeding field.
‘Now for the water. With one bucket I’ll splash the others to the fill from up here. That’ll mill the oxygen through. Boy, how these donkeys can drink, can’t keep up with them with the siphon hose. Boyoboy, what a mud field, we should get you two pairs of boots, Honey.
‘All right, Honeybunny, you can come out of your hiding now, ye hear. They are too busy eating or else I’m here as well. Wonder where the sheep are hanging out. If only they knew what a tasty bucket I have here. Just a sec, did I see that large stone moving? Cannot be, that must be a sheep. Yes, and there and there as well.
‘Come along now or you’ll be sorry you didn’t, comecocome, yeah yeah, you see now how much fun you can bark? Isn’t it beautiful here? That mountain, yesterday it was blue and now it’s brown. Do you like that as much as I do? Well, I do do, though sometimes they can be quite obstaculous.
‘Hey, is that a stick, yeah, I have heard of those, can’t you throw that veeery far away? You could be related to Dusty, you little Spring-in the-field.
‘Good, you take a strategic position, I have been noticed, Francie and Theo in the forward-line, directly followed by Mum and her promising Lamb-lick and there goes the bucket, a little bit here and a little bit there, come on ladies and gentlemen, it’s just as nice as it is in the bucket and that’s getting emptier fast. So, now please do not mix, …20, 21 no, again, …22, 23, rats, …21, 22 and of course Lamb-lick.
‘Fine Honey, mission accomplished, now to wipe my half-boots on the high grass, rinse them in the pothole and we are back home and now I have a delicacy for you from the mistress! Yahoo, that was what I put under the hot tap, sardines in sunflower oil, bon appetit and now the holiday-boss will take a slice of the Christmas cake, yummy!’
Jan Ploeg, Boston, December 26th 2007
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