Do, or did, YOU know him? He was 'born' in Spain a long time ago.
His mama was a cow and they lived on a very large ranch with other cows and their baby boys.
The other baby bulls loved to play rough games and pretend they were big bulls, silly boys they did not realise what, really, was going on!
But Ferdinand did not like rough games, he like to sit quietly under his favourite cork tree and smell the flowers.
She, his mother, asked him once if he was lonely, why he didn't run about with the other baby bulls, he just shook his head and said that he liked to sit and smell the flowers.
As the years went by, he grew into a very big and strong bull like all the other bulls. But they would butt each other and stick each other with their horns (ouch) and what they wanted most was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid. (I told YOU they were not very bright).
But not Ferdinand, he liked to sit quietly under that cork tree sniffing those flowers.
One day five men came to pick the biggest and bravest bull to fight in Madrid. The other bulls went ballistic, they jumped, snorted and behaved in what they thought was a suitable fashion for a fighting bull.
Ferdinand knew that they would not pick him and he did not care, so he trundled off up the hill to go and sit and sniff.
But.. oh dear.. oh dearie him.. for he sat upon a
bumble bee and what would YOU do if a bull sat on YOU, well, YOU would stick him with YOUR sting too, if YOU had one!
Wow! Boy, oh boy. Did it hurt! Of course it did! It sent poor Ferdinand crazy and the silly men from Madrid said "Ole! He is the big and snortiest bull of all".
So they took poor old Ferdinand away in a cart to the bull ring in Madrid. The description of his ferocity, size and strength had spread and all the bull fighting aficiandos had bought tickets to see this famous bull.
What a day it was, the bands were playing, flags were flying and the very lovely ladies wore flowers in their hair.
There was a parade into the ring.. first came the Banderillos with their long sharp pins to stick into the bull to make him cross (no, SHE is not an aficianado of bull fighting), next came the nasty Piccadores with their picks to make him angry.
Next came the Matador, the proudest of all, he had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to 'stick' the bull last of all. Then came the bull and YOU know who that was, don't YOU.
Pay attention if YOU don't for this is not a school room.
They had billed him as Ferdinand the Fierce, the Banderilleros were afraid of him, the Picadores were very afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff.
OUR friend charged into the middle of the ring, everyone shouted and clapped because he was enormous and looked so fierce with his big horns.
But when he got to the middle of the ring, he saw all the flowers in the lovely ladies hair and he sat down and smelled. He had no intention of fighting (never had had) and it drove the nasty men crazy.
The Banderilleros were angry, the Picadores were angrier and the matador was so angry, he cried as he could not show off his red cape and sword.
So they had to take Ferdinand home and for all I know, he is still sitting there, under his favourite cork tree, smelling the flowers.
He is very happy.
Now, I bet YOU all wondering why WE told YOU the story of Ferdinand the Bull. Well, YOU see, this post is directly related to MY last post.
SHE went to Phoebes in Catford. Remember that I said it was a garden centre, well, what is for sale at these places?
Plants of all varieties, besides other things, so whilst SHE was waiting for Alison to pack up something, SHE went on a stroll around the huge outside yard and found.. oh, such lovely things!
SHE has known and loved this charming story since SHE was very young, SHE was given the little book when SHE was very young and SHE still has the little red book.
But what were the lovely things SHE found at Phoebes?
SHE found Daphne, Mahonia and Vibernum. The smell of which are so beautiful that SHE was just happy to stand in the cold and sniff.
Do YOU know these beautiful smells? So go out and about Dear Readers, go and search for these winter smells and 'sniff' deeply.
But don't go looking for a Cork tree, unless YOU live in the Western Mediterranean, which is where they grow.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 14th, 2014.
Post script.
The Story of Ferdinand was written by Munro Leaf in 1938 and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
His mama was a cow and they lived on a very large ranch with other cows and their baby boys.
The other baby bulls loved to play rough games and pretend they were big bulls, silly boys they did not realise what, really, was going on!
But Ferdinand did not like rough games, he like to sit quietly under his favourite cork tree and smell the flowers.
She, his mother, asked him once if he was lonely, why he didn't run about with the other baby bulls, he just shook his head and said that he liked to sit and smell the flowers.
As the years went by, he grew into a very big and strong bull like all the other bulls. But they would butt each other and stick each other with their horns (ouch) and what they wanted most was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid. (I told YOU they were not very bright).
But not Ferdinand, he liked to sit quietly under that cork tree sniffing those flowers.
One day five men came to pick the biggest and bravest bull to fight in Madrid. The other bulls went ballistic, they jumped, snorted and behaved in what they thought was a suitable fashion for a fighting bull.
Ferdinand knew that they would not pick him and he did not care, so he trundled off up the hill to go and sit and sniff.
But.. oh dear.. oh dearie him.. for he sat upon a
bumble bee and what would YOU do if a bull sat on YOU, well, YOU would stick him with YOUR sting too, if YOU had one!
Wow! Boy, oh boy. Did it hurt! Of course it did! It sent poor Ferdinand crazy and the silly men from Madrid said "Ole! He is the big and snortiest bull of all".
So they took poor old Ferdinand away in a cart to the bull ring in Madrid. The description of his ferocity, size and strength had spread and all the bull fighting aficiandos had bought tickets to see this famous bull.
What a day it was, the bands were playing, flags were flying and the very lovely ladies wore flowers in their hair.
There was a parade into the ring.. first came the Banderillos with their long sharp pins to stick into the bull to make him cross (no, SHE is not an aficianado of bull fighting), next came the nasty Piccadores with their picks to make him angry.
Next came the Matador, the proudest of all, he had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to 'stick' the bull last of all. Then came the bull and YOU know who that was, don't YOU.
Pay attention if YOU don't for this is not a school room.
They had billed him as Ferdinand the Fierce, the Banderilleros were afraid of him, the Picadores were very afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff.
OUR friend charged into the middle of the ring, everyone shouted and clapped because he was enormous and looked so fierce with his big horns.
But when he got to the middle of the ring, he saw all the flowers in the lovely ladies hair and he sat down and smelled. He had no intention of fighting (never had had) and it drove the nasty men crazy.
The Banderilleros were angry, the Picadores were angrier and the matador was so angry, he cried as he could not show off his red cape and sword.
So they had to take Ferdinand home and for all I know, he is still sitting there, under his favourite cork tree, smelling the flowers.
He is very happy.
Now, I bet YOU all wondering why WE told YOU the story of Ferdinand the Bull. Well, YOU see, this post is directly related to MY last post.
SHE went to Phoebes in Catford. Remember that I said it was a garden centre, well, what is for sale at these places?
Plants of all varieties, besides other things, so whilst SHE was waiting for Alison to pack up something, SHE went on a stroll around the huge outside yard and found.. oh, such lovely things!
SHE has known and loved this charming story since SHE was very young, SHE was given the little book when SHE was very young and SHE still has the little red book.
But what were the lovely things SHE found at Phoebes?
SHE found Daphne, Mahonia and Vibernum. The smell of which are so beautiful that SHE was just happy to stand in the cold and sniff.
Do YOU know these beautiful smells? So go out and about Dear Readers, go and search for these winter smells and 'sniff' deeply.
But don't go looking for a Cork tree, unless YOU live in the Western Mediterranean, which is where they grow.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 14th, 2014.
Post script.
The Story of Ferdinand was written by Munro Leaf in 1938 and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
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