It was a sunny afternoon on Green Farm where Farmer Green lived with his wife, known to everyone as Mrs. Green, and all the animals. The cows were lying in the green grass, chewing the cud under the apple tree.
In the barn, the chickens were having a gossip about nothing. And looking over her garden fence, Mrs. Green was saying to a neighbor:
“They are not just like our children,” says she. “It really is a strange thing how those animals can understand each other and talk together all the time, just like we can!”
Mrs. Green was as happy as could be, for her flowers in the garden were all in bloom, while in the yard the birds were singing.
Just then old Billy the goat came strolling by. He seemed to be thinking of something and did not notice Mrs. Green.
“Billy! Billy!” she cried. “Are you not coming to speak to me? Surely you have something on your mind?”
So Billy stopped before Mrs. Green and said, “Good Day,” for he was very polite.
“I was just going to consult my friend Sheila the sheep. She is standing over there in the shade of the barn. But I have not really made up my mind yet if I will tell her or not.”
“Tell her what?” asked Mrs. Green. “Don’t you think that we can help her?”
“Well, I am afraid not,” said he’s. “You see, it is really too good to keep to ourselves.”
Then he turned towards Sheila. He said, “Here I come, Sheila. Can I speak to you quite alone?”
Now we must tell you that Sheila the sheep—not our common breed of sheep, but a special kind brought from a far-off country—was a fine creature altogether, with a lovely thick coat of silky wool. Sheila left her place and went up to Billy.
“Sheila,” said he, “what do you think of having a concert tomorrow afternoon outside your house, where all the animals on the farm come and sing by turns? Wouldn’t that amuse us?”
“Yes,” said Sheila, “but I should be too shy to sing before everyone.”
“And I will speak to Farmer Green directly,” said Billy, “and ask him if he will not be good enough to come and listen to us.”
When Farmer Green was asked, he said, “That will be amusing. Yes, yes. Let us do that.”
Then all the farm horses and carriages were sent for the animals living around Green Farm and everywhere they went they cried, “There is a concert tomorrow afternoon on the Green Forest Plain—Come to the Concert!”
All the living creatures in the county came for this entertainment. The country people came, too, for they had heard of Farmer Green’s concert for animals, and they wanted to see it.
At last the day of this long-talked-of concert came, and the animals did not know themselves with happiness. When noon came a feast was arranged for them all, a large meal being provided on the green.
Off they all wandered, delighted with their day out. And while eating, all the animals often said to one another, “I wonder what Sheila will sing. What does Sheila mean to sing?”
How was Sheila to know? Every minute she was becoming more and more shy. And when she saw the animals singing with a loud hoarse voice, the cows, for instance, gave a roar one on the top of the other, like enraged oxen, and it was impossible for her to hear herself think.
It was growing late, and Billy the goat began to be very nervous, for he saw in his mind the whole concert lost–and they would return disappointed to Green Farm. So he stepped out into the middle of the green and said three times, “Baa! Baa! Baa!” to call the assembly. Then Mrs. Green clapped her hands together when she saw poor Sheila standing trembling and sad without having sung one note.
“This place is yours now, Sheila,” said Farmer Green. “Sing now, sing while you have a mind to.”
Now as Farmer Green said this she came to herself and she thought, “I’ll give up when we’ve finished the green. Then I need not sing again.”
So holding up her pretty neck so that all could see her, she opened her pretty mouth and sang two verses:
In the cool green grass I lay,
All in the noontide sun;
I see on my right the cows that chew,
And that slowly jump.
But all we sheep in the world to be
We love to tarry and spend the day.
And I live at Green Farm, do you hear?”
“When I am at rest what do I hear?
Only the dove cooing quite near;
Farmer Green comes and strokes me and cries,
‘Rich as King Solomon, so sheepwise!’
But all we sheep in the world to be
We love to tarry and spend the day.
And I live at Green Farm, do you hear?”
She started and she finished and the applause was tremendous. Sheila was not shy, for she had found her animal power, and Farmer Green was nearly as proud of his sheep as she was of herself.