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Roderick had long
‘handlebar’ horns that jutted out from the sides of his thick, round
head. They weren’t very sharp but useful when he tried to scrape bark off
trees to eat, or to dig up a potato or a turnip from the rich, peaty soil.
Roderick loved to eat turnips. He loved to eat them even more than he
loved to eat leeks, and he loved leeks.
Roderick had a shaggy
reddish brown coat of hair that was so long that it dragged on the ground
when he walked. Some of it hung down over his eyes. He had so much hair
that it kept him warm in the winter while the cold winds blew and snow
fell.
One rainy morning, as
Roderick was grazing in a field of matted, yellowing bracken and fern, a
little brown mouse came running up to him. "Roderick, I’m cold and wet.
Can I climb into your shaggy hair for awhile and get warm?" Murdo asked.
Roderick looked at the
shivering mouse and said, "Of course, Murdo. Grab hold of my leg and climb
up. Find somewhere warm and sleep for awhile."
Murdo did just that. He
covered himself, including his big ears and his long skinny tail. Soon he
was warm and cozy and fell asleep.
Roderick nibbled on some
thistle. He ripped the fluffy purple flowers off the prickly stem and
gobbled them down. He was still eating when a long-eared hare came hopping
by. His fur was gray with brown spots and he was very wet and shivering.
"Roderick, I’m cold and wet. Can I climb into your shaggy hair for awhile
and get warm?" Torgan asked.
"Of course, Torgan. Grab
hold of my tail and climb up. Find somewhere warm and sleep for awhile."
Torgan, the hare, did just
that. He covered himself, including his long skinny ears, his fluffy tail,
and his muscular paws. Soon he was warm and cozy and fell asleep. Roderick
smiled and lowered his head to nibble on some wild oats. He was chewing
away when it started to rain even harder. The wind blew his tail back and
forth, but Roderick had so much hair that he wasn’t cold. He was ripping
up some of the oats when a grouse came flying by. She could hardly move as
the wind was blowing so hard. She fell and landed near Roderick’s head.
"Roderick, I’m cold and wet. Can I climb into your shaggy hair for awhile
and get warm?" Seonaid asked.
"Of course you can. Grab
hold of my ear and climb up. Find somewhere warm and sleep for while."
Seonaid did just that. She
covered herself, including her wings, her tail feathers, and her beak.
Soon she was warm and cozy and fell asleep.
Roderick saw a large,
sturdy oak tree and walked over to it. The rain kept falling and the wind
kept blowing, but he wasn’t cold. He had so much long, shaggy fur that it
kept him warm. Some pretty purplish-pink heather was growing in a cluster
near the trunk of the tree. He started nibbling on it. He tore some
heather bells up and chewed them. They were delicious. Roderick heard a
sneeze above him. He looked up and saw a red fox standing on a branch of
the oak. He was shivering and drenched. "Roderick, I’m cold and wet. Can I
climb into your shaggy fur for awhile and get warm?" Somerled asked.
"Of course you can. Jump
down from the branch into my hair. Find somewhere warm and sleep for
awhile."
Somerled did just that. He
covered himself, including his long, bushy tail, his pointed ears, and
snout. Soon he was warm and cozy and fell asleep.
Roderick kept eating the
heather. He smiled. He knew that Murdo, the mouse, Torgan, the rabbit,
Seonaid, the grouse, and Somerled, the fox, were warm, and sleeping in his
shaggy coat of hair. He had so much hair that he didn’t mind sharing it
with the other animals.
It stopped raining and the
wind stopped blowing. Roderick moved into the sunshine. It felt warm as it
shone down on him. He stood in a field, munching away on some delicious
bluebells. They had drops of rainwater dripping from them and tasted very
good. He felt something moving above his back leg. Then he heard a yawn.
It was Murdo. "Thank you, Roderick, for letting me get warm. The sun’s out
and I’m not cold or wet anymore. Cheerio," the mouse said, jumping down
off Roderick’s back, and running off towards a bush.
Roderick kept eating the
bluebells. Soon he felt something moving on his back, near his tail. Then
he heard a yawn. It was Torgan. "Thank you, Roderick, for letting me get
warm. The sun’s out and I’m not cold or wet anymore. Cheerio," the hare
said, hopping down off Roderick’s back, and leaping through the bluebells.
Roderick moved towards a
burn that was flowing through the field. Its water was cool and
refreshing. He bent down to get a drink when he felt something moving near
his ear. Then he heard a yawn. It was Seonaid. "Thank you, Roderick, for
letting me get warm. The sun’s out and I’m not cold or wet anymore.
Cheerio," the grouse said, flying off of Roderick’s ear, and flapping her
wings as she fluttered into a nearby tree.
Roderick took a long drink
and walked towards a turnip patch. There were some huge turnip greens
sticking out of the wet, brown earth. He bent down and tugged at a huge
purple and white turnip. He loved turnips. When he started chewing it, he
felt something moving in the middle of his back. Then he heard a yawn. It
was Somerled. "Thank you, Roderick, for letting me get warm. The sun’s out
and I’m not cold or wet anymore. Cheerio," the fox said, leaping off of
Roderick’s back and running off to get a drink from the burn.
Roderick was happy that he
could help his friends. He shook himself and then went on eating his
turnips as the sunshine warmed him. |
