Ali Pye – Llama Drama - In It To Win It! (страница 2)

“You’re just having last-minute nerves,” Liberty told him.

Lewie smiled back. Yes, that’s all it was, just a bit of stage fright. He must keep it to himself. He didn’t want the sheep or the lambs to lose any more confidence.

Lewie started to allow himself to feel a little excited at the thought of their forthcoming adventure. “County Fair, here we come!” he said, grinning.

Not far away, another group of animals was getting excited at the prospect of the County Fair too. It was an important annual event for the local coyotes, who were already gathering from around the county. It was their chance to inspect at close quarters the best, prize-winning livestock in the area. It was a predator’s shop window, a not-to-be-missed opportunity to check out the juiciest, most mouth-watering flock of sheep. Some of the younger, bolder coyotes, confident they’d snatch a tender lamb or two, were arguing over the perfect accompaniment for their lamb chops.

Mint sauce was the simplest and the best, agreed several coyotes.

Others preferred cranberry jelly.

Hot tangy mustard was popular too, and red wine and rosemary relish was favoured by some classier coyotes.

Captain Coyote, who was much older, reminded the youngsters what a risky venture it would be. Farmers weren’t about to allow their best animals to be picked off right under their noses. Far better, in Captain’s view, to do a little window-shopping, then visit the tastiest flock back on its own farm, when security wouldn’t be quite so tight.

“Remember, you young fellas,” said Captain, quoting one of his personal mottos, “He who retreats lives to hunt another day. Yes, siree.”

But these youngsters weren’t interested in retreating, or listening to an old coyote’s words of warning.

“Lost your nerve, Grandpa?” one young hothead, called Clutterbuck, asked him. He liked to think of himself as a budding leader. “You do the babysitting, old fella. Leave the hunting to us.”

“Those of us who’ve still got the nerve for it,” added another scary-looking animal, called Crazycoot, who’d had so many brushes with danger he only had half a tail left.

Captain shook his head, but didn’t argue. They were young and foolish and would have to learn the hard way. His responsibility was to his nephew, Cupcake, to keep the young cub safe.

Against his better judgement, Captain had allowed Cupcake to persuade him to go hunting together once again. After their close shave last time, at Farmer Palmer’s farm, Captain had been reluctant. But Cupcake had finally worn him down.

The truth was, Cupcake wasn’t even interested in hunting, he was just desperate for another glimpse of Lewie and his amazing performing lambs. Of course, he hadn’t admitted that to Captain. It was his little secret.

He smiled at his uncle, who gazed fondly back at him. Captain knew that in Cupcake’s eyes he was the bravest, most fearless coyote in the whole county. He puffed out his chest proudly and reminded himself that not one of these young hotheads could teach him, Captain Cornelius Columbus Coyote, the first thing about hunting sheep. No, siree.

he next day was a big day for Farmer Palmer. In preparation for the County Fair, and because of the hot weather, he’d decided to shear his lambs. His six-year-old daughter, Millie, was helping the farmer to herd them into a small holding pen, where she gave each one a little cuddle in case they felt nervous. After all, none of the lambs had been shorn before. Their mothers, who’d lost their fleeces several times, had told them it was no big deal and that it would soon grow again.

“Just don’t struggle,” Ginger warned Bertie. “Be a big brave boy and it’ll soon be over.”

“So-o-on be-e o-over,” echoed the other sheep.

But the lambs didn’t look reassured and nor did Lewie. He didn’t like the way the farmer was tipping them backwards on to their bottoms, then wedging them between his legs. The sight of Shoo’s little nose anxiously peeping out made Lewie quite cross. In fact, if it had been anyone but Farmer Palmer, Lewie would have given him a hefty kick. Instead, Lewie leaned over the side of the pen to let Farmer Palmer know that he was watching! Millie knew how Lewie must be feeling and gave him a friendly stroke. But it was all over quickly, for Shoo at least. Farmer Palmer turned on the electric clipper and ran it in long, smooth strokes down the length of the lamb’s body. In minutes, Shoo’s little woolly coat fell away in strips, like the peel off a piece of fruit. Shoo wobbled for a moment, pale and naked-looking, before skipping back to his mother. He looked half as big as before the shearing, but otherwise none the worse for his experience.

The farmer pressed on with the rest of the lambs. If there’d been a zip fastener down the front of each, he couldn’t have taken off their coats much faster. By lunchtime the field was dotted with tiny little pale-pink creatures running around almost in their underwear.

Lewie felt a little sad at how different his lambs looked. But the lambs quickly discovered one advantage. They were so much lighter on their feet now, even faster and more agile than before. They found doing somersaults, and forward and backward rolls, was twice as easy. They positively bounced around as if their hooves were spring-loaded, sometimes overshooting as if they’d been fired out of a cannon.

Lewie tried to ignore the rude remarks that could be heard coming from the llama enclosure.

“Hey, look at Lewie and his performing pink mice!” shouted Leo.

“Pity he can’t afford costumes for them,” Lamar honked.

Lewie was about to tell off his brothers when he saw Farmer Palmer coming towards him carrying a pair of hand shears.

No way! he thought, backing off. He wasn’t going to the County Fair feeling naked. There was a bit of a chase before Farmer Palmer managed, with a lot of help from Millie, to corner Lewie and to calm him down.

“It’s only a trim,” Millie promised. “Just to smarten you up. It won’t hurt, honestly.”

Lewie didn’t have to like it, but he decided to trust Millie and submit himself to a bit of a haircut.

“With summer coming he’ll be far more comfortable losing some of this heavy fleece,” the farmer told Millie.

But it wasn’t summer quite yet and Lewie could feel the breeze blowing around his legs. He shivered, as much with embarrassment as cold. He could hear the other llamas honking in delight.

“Ewww! Look at Nudie Lewie!” they cried.

But Lewie’s revenge was coming. The farmer next made his way to the llama enclosure to give everyone else a trim …

For Lewie the following week passed far too quickly. The lambs were beginning to look slightly less pink and bare, but despite lots of practice, they were still letting their nerves take over. Sometimes they resembled a box of fireworks, all exploding at the same time – but often in different directions.

It was the same with the sheep. When Lewie took control, they managed to pull together and not argue, but if he left them alone things quickly fell apart.

“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time – again!” Shelley told Shirley.

“You got in my way,” Shirley told Shelley, “with your big hooves.”

“Your big hooves!” Shelley echoed.

“Let’s all take a break, shall we?” Lewie said, trying to calm down the sheep.

“Don’t worry,” Ginger told him, “it’ll all work out. They’re just a bit nervous. You know, in the past, if we got things wrong The Terminator threatened to nip us.”

Nip them? Lewie was horrified to hear this. He relied on the flock following him because they wanted to, not out of fear. But he did sometimes wonder what would happen if they ever decided not to.

That night, Farmer Palmer and Millie checked all the animals and made sure everything and everyone was ready to travel to the County Fair tomorrow. Millie was as excited as the lambs. It would be her first time at the fair too. Farmer Palmer had given her an important job to do: making sure the sheep and lamb pens were kept clean and tidy. There were strict rules about how to look after the animal pens at the fair and Millie was determined to do the job well.

“You’re definitely going to win Best Guard Llama,” she told Lewie.

Lewie wished that he felt as confident about it as Millie. He put his head down so the little girl could reach up to stroke his nose. Lewie so wanted to make her and Farmer Palmer proud of him and his flock.

Over in the llama field, Mama and Papa Llama were giving their older children a few encouraging words for the next day.

“We know you’ll all be a credit to your mama and me,” Papa Llama told them. “Remember that our family has a strong tradition of prize-winning. Your mama and I won Best Breeding Pair for more years than I care to remember. We have every confidence that Lewie will win Best Guard Llama this year and maybe one of you will bring home the other big prize: Best Llama in Show.”

This immediately brought out the competitive streak in Leo, Lamar and Latisha. They each privately promised themselves, in addition to winning their own events, to grab the big prize too. Mama Llama beamed at her children, but then gave Liberty a pleading look.