3. When Herriot is on a schedule and must return to the clinic, what is Herriot doing at Ted Buckle's, and what happens that makes him sure he'll be late?

4. How does Herriot's attitude about the English farmer change over the course of chapter twenty? Why does it change?

5. Describe the byre that Frank Metcalf builds for his cows. How is it different from most local byres?

6. What does Ted Buckle do to calm Herriot down and to get the bull back in his box?

7. Why does Roland Partridge decide to postpone as long as possible the surgery that Herriot recommends fro his little dog Percy? What possible affect did this delay have?

8. How does Carmondy's "hands on" experience on cases go? Give examples of what happens.

9. Explain what upset Herriot when he goes to trim Mrs. Tompkin's budgie's beak. What does he do about it?

10. Why does Herriot become upset with Kitson when he goes to deliver some lambs for him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter three, many of the events are caused by an unknown Alsatian dog that was in the area with its owners. Apparently the dog chased the sheep. Even though the no harm was apparent immediately, it still resulted in much stress and financial loss for the farmer. Write an essay about the responsibility of dog owners, as well as appropriate behavior regarding the livestock or crops of farmers and ranchers.

Part 1. Explain your own situation. Do you live in a rural area or an urban one? Do you come into contact with commercial crops or livestock? If so, what traditions are in place regarding them?

Part 2. Retell the story of the dog and Benson's sheep. What possibilities were open to the people to have avoided this? What should they have done after it happened?

Part 3. In many areas, the crops or animals are accessible from roads. How should the passerby treat these? Are vineyards okay to walk through? Are apple orchards okay to picnic in? Ride dirt bikes in? Cows okay to pet? Feed? Using the example of Benson's sheep, the people saw no harm done at the time. Even if they were concerned about the damage their dog could have caused, the damage was unnoticeable at the time. How should this possibility affect the passerby's treatment of the commercial crops or livestock?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about breeds and selective breeding.

Part 1. Why do we create specific breeds of animals or plants?

Part 2. What do we do to create those breeds? What are some practices in selective breeding?

Part 3. Give some examples of plants or animals that have modified and bred to suit a specific purpose. What traits were selected for and which ones were lost?