A Cow Named Hope

Dedicated to the wonderful and brave John Oliver ("Ollie") Tetloff, and of course his mother, Meredith.  (ollieupdates.org) 

Once upon a time there was a cow named Hope.

Hope lived in a great big pasture on Bay Branch Farm with her mama and daddy and lots of cousins and sisters.  The cows on Bay Branch Farm were very happy.  Every day, they woke up, ate grass, drank water, swatted flies with their tails, and mooed: "It's gooooood to be a cow." 

Life was good on Bay Branch Farm, but Hope wasn't happy.  Even though she liked eating grass, drinking water, and swatting flies with her tail, she had this nagging feeling that she was made for something more. 

She went to her mama and shared her problem:  "Mama," she asked tentatively, "Have you ever wanted to do more than eat grass, drink water, and swat flies with your tail?"

Mama looked at Hope, took a big bite of grass, chewed it around for a few minutes, and then chided:  "Hope, it's goooood to be a cow.  Don't be ungrateful.  Now run along and play with your sisters."

Hope bowed her head and walked away, ashamed.  For the next few days she tried to concentrate on living happily on the farm, but - try as she might - she continued to feel like she was missing out on something.

The next day, Farmer Hub noticed that Hope was moping by the water trough.  Farmer Hub loved his cows and always knew when something was the matter.  He walked up to Hope, patted her head, and said, "What's wrong, little cow?"

Hope mooed the longest and saddest mooooooooo Farmer Hub had ever heard.  Because Farmer Hub had been farming for a long time and knew everything there was to know about cows, he understood immediately what the problem was.

"Well Hope," he said.  "I have an idea.  I have a special friend named Ollie. Right now, Ollie is sick and is not feeling his best.  He loves cows but he can't come to visit right now because he is busy getting well.  Would you like to cheer Ollie up?"

Hope turned in a circle three times and kicked her feet up in the air with excitement.  Of course she would like to help!

The next day, the farmer brought a funny looking bag.  He opened it up and took out a camera. 

"Can I take your picture, Hope?"  the Farmer asked.  "For Ollie?"

Hope was a little afraid, but she held very still.  She knew she had to be very good so she could help Farmer Hub's friend, Ollie.


"Click, click,"  whirred the camera. 

"Moo, Moo," said Hope.

The other cows watched warily, chewing their grass, swatting their tails.  What, they wondered, was Hope doing?

A few days later, Farmer Hub came back to the cow pasture.  Hope trotted up, happy to see her friend. 

"Hope," said Farmer Hub.  "Ollie really liked the pictures of you, but he would like to see more cows.  Do you think you could talk to your friends to see if they would like to have their pictures taken?"

Hope moooed a worried moo.  She knew that the cows were happy eating their grass, drinking their water, and swatting their tails.  But - she could tell that Farmer Hub and Ollie really needed her help, so she approached her cousin Thatcher. 

Thatcher looked up at Hope with a mouth full of grass.  His big brown eyes seemed to say, "I'm happy just doing this.  Please let me be."  Hope didn't want to bother Thatcher and almost walked away, but then she remembered Farmer Hub's friend Ollie.  Courageously, she asked:

"Thatcher, will you help me help Farmer Hub and his friend Ollie?"  Thatcher blinked once, then he blinked twice.  Hope was sure he was going to say no and she almost walked away when she heard him say,

"O.K. Hope, I will help you help Farmer Hub." 

"Hooray!"  Hope kicked up her heels and nuzzled Thatcher's neck joyously.  "Follow me!"

Slowly Thatcher followed Hope over to Farmer Hub.

"Click, click," went the camera.

"Mooooooo," said Hope and Thatcher together.

The other cows watched from the corner, eating their grass, swishing their tails.  But this time, a few of the little calves ventured closer.  What was that funny noise?  And why did Hope and Thatcher look so excited?

Over the next few days and months, Farmer Hub came back with the camera.  And every time he came, Hope recruited a few more cows.  Before long, every cow in the herd had had their picture taken . . . every cow, except Hope's mama.  Now when Farmer Hub came with the camera, Hope's mama stood by herself while all the other cows posed for pictures.

One day, Farmer Hub came to the cow pasture looking very sad indeed.  He did not have his camera with him.  Hope wanted to know what was the matter.  She nudged Farmer Hub's shoulder and mooed.

Farmer Hub sighed a heavy sigh, took his broad-brimmed hat and turned it around in his hands, and said,

"Our friend Ollie is very sick, Hope.  He is very brave and very strong, but he hurts a lot and is very tired. I wish there was something else we could do to help him."

Hope thought.  She thought and she thought and she thought.  She thought about all the things that made her feel better:  green grass, summer sunshine, fluffy clouds, playing with her sisters and brothers.  But Hope could not send those things to Ollie.

Photo by Alex Palmour

Just as she was about to hang her head in defeat, she had an idea!  Hope lifted her head up to Farmer Hub's ear and whispered as well as a cow can.  The farmer's face lit up and he began to smile.

"That's a great thought, Hope!"  he said.  "Let's do it!"

The next day, Farmer Hub came with a crew of farm hands and a great big truck.  Even though the other cows now liked having their picture taken, they were a little scared of the big truck.  They backed up to the fence in a tight circle.

Farmer Hub took his hat off again and ran his fingers through his hair.  What if the plan didn't work?  What if Hope was afraid?

Just then, Hope stepped out from the circle of cows.  She took a few steps toward Farmer Hub.  Farmer Hub put his hat back on, straightened his back, and smiled a great, big smile. 

"Okay, guys, let's load her up!" he shouted.

The truck backed up to the gate and someone swung the doors open.  For the first time, Hope paused.  She was a little afraid of that great big trailer with the loud door.

And then, from deep within the herd, Hope's mama walked forward.  She walked up to Hope and looked at her long and hard with her big, dark eyes.  She nuzzled Hope's neck for a moment, and then she nudged her forward with her nose towards the trailer.

Hope stepped on, and Farmer Hub swung the door closed.

The truck sputtered on and then rattled off down the winding dirt road.

Hope rode for what seemed like a very long time.  Finally, the truck clanked to a stop and began to back up. It made a funny beep, beep, beep noise and then jumped slightly as it turned off.

Hope began to shake a little, missing her friends and her farm very much.  Just as she was beginning to rethink this idea, Farmer Hub swung the doors wide open.  Hope stumbled out into the bright light, blinking after being in the dark trailer.

And then .  .  . she saw them.  Waiting for her just beyond the truck ramp was the most wonderful little boy she had ever seen.  He was wearing a Mincraft t-shirt, and he sat next to his mother.  She had beautiful auburn hair and the kind of way about her that made Hope feel better at once.

"Ollie," the boy's mother said, "I think you should go up and meet your new friend."

The boy walked up to Hope, and she stopped shaking.  He lifted out his hand and petted her, and she felt her trembling heart slow down.  She mooed.

Ollie laughed, and his mama laughed, and Hope nuzzled his cheek. She thought for a moment about all the things she had left:  the fluffy coulds in the summer sky, the warm sunshine, the green grass . . . and then Ollie smiled at her again.  His smile was like all of those good things mixed together, but better.  She felt the happiest she had ever felt.

"It's gooooood to be a cow!," she mooed.  Then she posed for a picture with her new best friend.

THE END