Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem. A/A. Milne
I’ve seen a right smart bit a hardship and sadness and sickness since Fred ‘n me been on the road. I gotta admit it got me down some a the time. This ole world seems to be facin’ a lotta troubles, and sometimes folks I see just don’t seem to have good sense.
At times like this, Fred, she reminds me a old songs that mean a lot to me — like the evenin’ we was walkin’ by a camp a gypsies or some such folks. Ordinarily I woulda stopped and listened to their stories or songs, and mebbe even shared a can a beans if they’d a offered it, but it was one a those times when I wasn’t feelin’ too cheerful. But the folks, they was a’singin’ one a my favorites — There will be peace in the valley for me, someday, There will be peace in the valley for me, o Lord, I pray — there ‘ll be no sickness, no sorrow, no trouble, I pray — there will be peace in the valley, for me. Ole Fred stopped on the trail and wouldn’t let me go on ’til I stood there and listened to that whole song, twice.
Then another time, I was lyin’ in my bedroll, no stars that night, and Fred musta been off huntin’ or somethin’ and I was feelin’ powerful lonesome and discouraged. An’ then I felt a soft touch on my face, and Fred’s body warm against my own, and as clear as anything, I heard the words — Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness . . . unto me.
Reminders like that, they mean a lot. Then I don’t feel so alone.
Now along about now, you might be sayin’ to yourself, well why the heck is he and Fred on the road like that if he feels so lonesome and all, but you need to know I mostly am real grateful I can travel and see this ole world like I can, nothin’ tyin’ me down. I’ve seen such beauty and experienced such kindness it nearly takes my breath away.
And ain’t it remarkable about ole Fred, and how she seems to know just what I need an’ when I need it? But the strangest thing is how she talks to me. I been around animals all my life and she’s the first one I been able to communicate with, so to speak.
I gotta tell you one more story about ole Fred before I stop this evenin’ — remember I told you how Fred wasn’t much to look at? Well, I mean, she’s beautiful to me, but most folks would think she looked right peculiar at the very least. Well, this is a story she told me about how she came to be that way:
Yeah, I had died and gone to heaven, before my time — at the hands, or paws, of an old mountain lion. I was a’climbin’ that A-New-Day-Has-Begun-Ladder, a mite resentful since I hadn’t been ready to die quite yet. A little Chick was a’showin’ me the way, claimin’ to be my “mentor,” and I was a’thinkin’ Really? A chicken is goin’ show me this place called heaven?? And this little scrap of a thing got kinda put out at my attitude, thinkin’ I wasn’t showin’ the proper amount of respect and appreciation at having one so noble and evolved as him as my Heavenly Mentor. Me, I was a’thinkin’ that he had forgotten that his crap still stinks. And that’s when I saw a Vole trottin’ by — now I gotta tell you, on earth, I always had a powerful sweet-tooth for voles, and right then and there, I forgot where I was, and I bit that Vole’s tail right off. Right away I knew that had been the wrong thing to do, but oh how I loved to eat them: Volies, volies I love to eat; bite they little tails off, nibble on they tiny feet.
The Chick, after his shock and all, he finally got over himself, glued the Vole’s tail back on, but wasn’t about to forgive and forget my uncontrollable impulse. He called me a total Dweek, said by no means was I ready for heaven yet, and said I was gonna have to suffer the consequences, which was goin’ back to earth as a Guardian Angel for someone that needed it, and that I was gonna have to lose my looks in the deal. And I had been beautiful, a Wolf beyond compare.
But it wasn’t such a bad deal. I got you to be an Angel for. But you know what? That there Chick-Fella? He did the worst blamed thing ever, worse’n takin’ away my looks. He took away my taste for Voles, can’t stand the critters now. Now that was downright cruel.