The Bull and the Barn

The Old Barn sat on a hill weathered and worn from time and storm. Its once red walls now faded to brown. An aged fence ran out from its sides to enclose a small green pasture with a pond in the center. The green slope of bordered grass was empty, but not for long. The Old Barn could see Tom the farmer escorting a new little, black cow to its happy confines. As the pair neared the gate to the pasture the Barn could see the cow had small nubs of horn protruding from its head marking it as a young bull. The farmer opened the gate and released the bull with a slap on the rump. He dashed in tossing his head snorting loudly, then looked around. The bull quickly found that he was alone, except for the Old Barn, of course. After he pranced about the field a few times he soon began to graze contentedly upon the tall, juicy grass.

The Old Barn watched the youngling for most of the day as it ran about the field, splashed in the pond, and ate more grass. Then as the day began to come near an end clouds began to gather and rain started drizzling down. Soon enough the bull was standing by the Barns door with its head bowed against the rain. It lowed softly but no one came out to help it.

"Thuuuss is the naaaature of thiiiings." The Old Barn said in a singsong voice to the cow.

"What's that? Who's there?" The young bull called out startled. He gazed about the field but saw no one. He was alone. He lowered his head again and leaned against the old, red wood. In the dreary evening its faded colors were the only bright thing that seemed to bring him warmth.

The Old Barn stared down at the cold, wet bull all night. Wishing that he could let the poor thing into his empty stalls. He wondered why this was happening. Tom used to take such good care of him and the cows, but recently his pastures had been neglected and all the cows that had once been there were now gone. Except for this new, little bull. What would become of him? The Old Barn signed, a wearing groaning of his structure. Only time would tell.

| The morning came with a beautiful sun rise that broke through the rain and sent the clouds scattering. With the appearance of the new day came the sound of voices, and it woke the young bull from his fitful sleep.

"It's all yours," Tom was saying," The Old Barn isn't looking that great, but his foundation is good. Nothing a nice paint job won't fix."

"And what of the Angus bull?" Asked another unfamiliar, "You intend upon keeping him?"

A small pause came, "No, he's yours, too." Tom replied shortly.

Presently, two men came into view, and walked up to lean on the fence of the barn yard. The young bull raised his head and shook the morning due from his black, shiny coat then walked over to greet the men with a hungry moo. He pushed his snout through the fencing and prodded at the unfamiliar man's jacket. The man laughed and pulled out a carrot. "You got a good nose there boy." He said and handed the carrot to the bull. He ate it hungrily then poked again at the man for more. "He got a name?" The man asked Tom. To which Tom shook his head. "No, I ain't had him but for a few days." The man reached over the fence and gave the bull a gentle scratch under the jaw. "Well, I guess I'll name him Blue."

Blue. The Old Barn thought. It was a fitting name for the young bull. The two men continued to talk and as the Old Barn listened he knew that things were about to change. Tom was selling the farm; and their new owner's name was now Robert.

When the men had left the Barn turned his attention to the Bull, "Weeell, Bluuuue, "he said in a smooth, drifting tone," it's niiice to make youuur acquaintance." Blue stared at the Barn and switched his tail nervously, "Um, "he said uncertainly, "Hello, there Barn?" He said the last as a question for he had never talked to a barn before. "Was it you that spoke to me last night?"

"Yes, yes," the Old Barn said finally, "T'waas I thaat spake."

"Oh, hurray!" The bull exclaimed loudly and began leaping about in a circle, "I'm not alone after all!" Soon he calmed and stood snorting heavily, "So this means we're friends right?" He asked his ears pricked forward attentively.

"Friieennds?" The Old Barn asked slowly for he had never been asked that before.

"Yes, it's what happens when two individuals have lots in common and want to spend time together."

The Old Barn laughed. Something he hadn't done since, well, he couldn't remember when. "Thaaat is nooot quite the corrrrect defffiniiition, however, "he added after a pause, "I would suppooose that we caan be frrrieeends."

"Well, "Blue said happily, "now that we are friends you must tell me your name."

The Old Barn did not reply for sometime, and when he did his voice was slightly sad, "Hoooo, Hummm, I'mmm aaaffraid I ddooon't have a naaaame."

"You don't have a name?!" Blue exclaimed, "Well, how about I call you Barney?"

The Old Barn laughed again, and my it felt good to do so!" I suuppooose it is a gooood naame." So Blue and Barney became fast friends, and Robert their new farmer, took excellent care of the two.

As days drew into months Blue started to grow into a large bull. His horns continued to develop and his body became heavy with muscle, but his black coat still bore that beautiful blue hue.

One day in mid fall Robert and his son Billy came down to the Barn with a bunch of tools and buckets. Blue watched with curiosity as they set up some ladders against the Old Barn's wall. Soon enough he saw the buckets opened and inside was a vibrant red liquid.

"Oh, Barney!" He said excitedly, "Robert and Billy are going to give you a new coat!"

"My, My, "Barney said his drifting tone mixed with pure delight," it appeeears as thooouuugh you are correct, Bluuuue,"

Blue watched through the fencing for most of the day as they painted. Finally near dinner time they had completed the one side. Its brilliant red shone brightly in the setting sun.

"Barney!" Blue called out to the Old Barn," You look as good as new on this side!" The Barn hummed happily to himself at the bull's compliment, "Weeell, weeell, this has got to beeee one of the beeest yeeears of my life!"

The fresh red paint seemed to bring the life back to his old walls, and by the end of the week the two farmers had finished painting Barney.

Soon fall turned into winter and the cold bit at Barney's walls tryin to steal away the warmth, but the two famers had resealed the barn to keep the cold out, and unlike Tom, these two farmers never forgot about Blue or Barney. Day in and day out they were always doing something down in the barnyard. Forking hay, cleaning stalls, feeding Blue, and on some rare days one of them would come down and clean out his hoofs and give him a brushing. That was his favorite day. It only happened once or twice a month, but he learned to look forward to it; and so it was that one spring day he noticed they hadn't come to brush him in over a month. He was just a week over a year old and was hoping to of had an extra long brushing for his birthday. Stomping impatiently at the new sprouting grass in the field Blue turned his head to Barney, "Why haven't they come to brush me?" He asked concern in his voice.

Barney was quiet for sometime, as he always was when asked a question these days, "Weeelll, nooow,"the Old Barn eventually drawled, "I'm not to suuuure what might be keeeeping them. Beee patient, my friend, they will coooome soooon enough." With that Barney fell silent, and Blue taking his advice turned his attention to the tender blades of new grass.

Sure enough, as Barney had said hardly a day had passed when Robert and Billy showed up to brush him. Only this time they brought soap and a bucket of water. They led him to the trough and harnessing him to the fence there they began to wet him down and bathe him. He stood rather surprised not sure what to make of it. He'd never gotten a bath before.

"What does this mean, Barney?" Blue asked lifting his head to look up at the Old Barn's roof. Silence. Blue snorted and stomped anxiously. Something wasn't right. They finished bathing him then brushed him, and cleaned and filed his hoofs.

"There ya are, Blue!" Billy said giving him a rub along his neck, "A bull like you'll be fetching a great prize with this coat of yours. Lots of breeders will want that." Robert agreed and the two left with big smiles of their faces talking about an auction.

Blue had no idea what they meant. His coat? A prize? And what was a breeder?

"Barney! What did they mean by all that? What's an auction?"

"IIII am sooorryyyy, dear friend, "Barney said at last remorse heavy in his soft voice, "Thuuus is the naaature of things."

"Sorry for what? What's going on?" Blue asked his eyes wide with fear and uncertainty as he looked up at his only friend.

"They are faaaarmers," Barney continued in his sad voice, "they will taaaake you and seeell you to someone eeelse, and weee, "he paused here momentarily then went on his voice holding a tremor Blue had never heard before, "weeee will neeeever meet again."

"NO!" Blue cried out in sorrow, "this cannot be! We are friends! Friends are forever!"

"Weee will still beee friends, but weee muuust go our separate waaays now."

For the rest of the day and all the night the two talked, then when dawn came at last Blue stood by the Old Barn door and waited. Soon the rumbling of engines cut the still morning and a big white truck pulling a trailer was backed up to the gate. Billy and Robert got out and opened the back then entering the pasture they called to Blue. He didn't move. He just stood beside the Old Barn with his head lowered slightly and horns out.

"You muust go with them, Bluuue." Barney said gently, "Yoouur Journey lies eeeelse where." So Blue submitted and let them take him into the trailer, and as they drove of Blue pushed his head through the metal bars on the back a lowed sadly to Old red Barn. Barney watched him go from his lonely hilltop and never before was there such a sad parting of a cow and a barn.

The day drew old and darkness finally fell upon the barnyard, and still there was no sign of the farmers. It was four long days till Robert and Billy returned with the trailer, but Blue was not in it.

Barney sat silently thinking sad thoughts to himself when suddenly he heard footsteps and Billy's voice, "There now, Red," the farmer said as he led a young reddish-brown calf up to the barnyard fence, "This'll be your new home for a while, my little bull." With that he slipped the lead off the calf and closed the aging gate behind it.

Within the pasture the calf pranced around a few times then stopped to drink from the Old Barn's watering trough.

"Weeellll, Hellooo there my little ffrieeend," He called to the young bull, "my naaaame is, Barney."