RPC 6th Grade English Lesson 15: The Surprise

The Surprise
By KryssaLee Baze
Ron Paul Curriculum 6th Grade English taught by
Professor Mullins

It was one of those cold, frosty days with snow sprinkling on the ground.

                 "Now KryssaLee, I have to leave you home alone. I must pick Dock up from school. Watch Cupcakes closely, as she will kid today.  I'll be right back." Mom said as she got into her pick-up.

                   

                 I nodded my head eagerly.  Being left home alone at twelve years old with a goat who is about to have a baby is a big responsibility, I thought.

                I watched Mom drive down the driveway in our red Dodge pick-up.  I was certain Cupcakes would kid, as it was her due-date that day. The other female goats had already kidded a month before.  However, I was not expecting what surprise lay in store for me that cold March day. 

               I skipped to the barn, flinging snow as I went. The atmosphere that day was cloudy, mysterious, exciting...

               I peered over the stall gate at Cupcakes, a light blond doe with black points and horns. She stared up at me with her big brown eyes and long gold eyelashes.  There was no birthing fluid that Mom and I call "goo" dripping off her rump.  No baby goat wriggling in the straw. All was well for the young half-Alpine half-Oberhasli doe.  I then leaned over the stall partition and looked into the next stall. 

              Puddins, Cupcakes' twin sister glanced up. Her red bay colored coat, black points, white star on her forehead, white splotch on her nose, and white booties looked glossy in the glow of the heat lamp.  She too, had horns.  Puddins was the only other doe who was pregnant. The one year old doe's due-date was in a few days.

              I walked to the house, ate lunch, and grabbed a book.  I then raced back to the barn thinking I would get at least one chapter of my book read. 

              I smiled in satisfaction, everything was ready.  There were clean towels to dry the kid with, iodine to dip the kid's naval in, and lubricant jelly, in case I had to do something dreadful, such as reach my hand inside Cupcakes and pull out a tangled kid.  The heat lamp glowed, giving warmth to the stall.  I glanced over the stall partition, and then froze with horror!!

             There was Puddins, staring down at a white, silky, shiny sack. Puddins didn't know what it was, but I did. It was a baby goat still in it's afterbirth sack!

              I leaped frantically into her stall and clawed at the sack, finally slitting it open, fluid gushed out. 

              A silver form with white splashes slid out.  I dried its nose and rubbed it vigorously.  "It" lifted its head and sneezed.  It was alive.

              It was a doeling, which is a baby girl goat kid.  Puddins motherly instinct kicked in and she started licking her daughter.  I moved Puddins into Cupcakes' stall, as it had the heat lamp hanging from the ceiling.  Then, suddenly, the second kid slid out of Puddins! Twins, another doeling!

              As I was drying the second doeling off, I heard mom's pick-up rumble into the driveway.  I peeked out the barn door and hollered for her to come quickly.  I told her what had happened, although she could see with her own eyes!  I named my first surprise Bunny.  She had white facial markings like her mother, white stockings, and a huge white band around her belly.  She was my favorite baby goat (so far) to have been born to us.  Cupcakes ended up kidding later that night- triplets.

              I smile at the memory of Puddins staring at the alien white sack on the stall floor, proudly remembering how I handled such an important situation by myself.  I felt as if I had accomplished a very important task.  God's surprise was wonderful, I loved my baby Bunny.

Bunny, shortly after birth.