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My first care was to purchase a couple of quiet cows.

One I bought from a sanctimonious individual, who assured me the animal was perfectly docile, stating as a proof that his little daughter was accustomed to milk her. Having sold me the cow, he expressed himself anxious as to my spiritual welfare, and preached me a short sermon in atrocious English on the subject of his own righteousness.

Although the man was leaving the neighbourhood, I felt no hesitation in taking his word about the amiability of the cow—he seemed so oppressively pious. She was turned into my paddock, and in a few days one of my little boys came running breathlessly to me to say that she had a calf.

I had been advised, when this event took place, to immediately take the calf away, and I accordingly proceeded to the paddock to do so, never anticipating any difficulty in the matter. To my surprise and alarm, however, when I got within about fifty yards of the animal, she suddenly lowered her head, and came straight for me, her rapid movements necessitating on my part a most ignominious and hasty retreat.

Author

Kaipara, or experiences of a settler in North New Zealand
By Peter W. Barlow
Published in 1899
Available from gutenberg.org

Posted on

Wednesday 14 April 2021

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750*596

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Country:New Zealand

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• Places / Oceania

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