Dobby, Mr Epps’ horse, had taken a liking to Mrs Epps’ umbrella. It was bright red and had a silver lining. “If only I could have an umbrella like that!” Dobby said aloud. Minnie, the small mouse in the stable, overheard him. “Dobby, how will you carry an umbrella even if you have it?” asked […]
It had been raining for the last three days. Everything was dripping. Poor Henry, the cock, was the worst hit, for his feathers were wet and he couldn’t crow loudly either. Only the ducks and the geese were having a good time! Charlie, the farm bullock, suggested that they should do something to improve their
The Morning Glory Cloud is a rare meteorological phenomenon and occurs as a series of waves forming the bands of roll clouds. These can be up to 1,000 km long and are often only 100-200 metres above the ground. Showers or thunderstorms may develop in its wake. The cloud quickly dissipates over land where the
Podge, the little lamb, was in trouble! He had wandered off outside the pen and fallen into a muddy ditch. Sally, the duck, heard him squealing and waddled across to find out what had happened. She quacked and squawked and raised an alarm. The farm animals collected around the ditch wondering how they were going
Nonny was curious about everything. She was Mrs Faber’s cat. How long was the wool in her ball? What was kept in the larder? What was being made for dinner? Where was Mrs Faber going? She wanted to know everything! One day, Mrs Faber went to her brother’s farm and took Nonny along. Farmer Jefferson’s
Phil did not trust the weathercock! It was shaped like a beautiful rooster but it never crowed! Phil barked at it whenever it swung in the breeze. “What’s the matter with you?” asked Maddy, the goat, who had woken up every time he barked, “Why don’t you just sleep?” “Because of that darned cock on
A beautifully embroidered handkerchief lay on the path from the farmhouse to the barn. Never in his life had Bobby seen anything so tiny and so pretty. Bobby was a small frog who lived in the farm pond. He hopped off with the wisp of cloth to store it in the hollow under the tree.
Nell, the chick, listened to all the stories in the hen-house, the barn and the stable as she tripped along behind her mother, Jessie. “Mom, what’s a rainbow?” she asked one night, as she snuggled under Jessie’s wing. “Have you seen Mrs Burton’s umbrella?” asked Jessie, “The multicoloured one?” “Oh, yes! Lots of coloured stripes!”
A Moonbow or a Lunar Rainbow is a rainbow produced by moonlight. Its formation is exactly the same as for a solar rainbow but caused by the refraction of moonlight in many water droplets. Three requisites for a true moonbow are: rain must fall on the opposite side of the moon, the moon must be
Barbie, the cow, was not well. Farmer Umber had gone off for two days to attend the Farmers’ Meet and there was panic on Umber’s Farm. Leroy, the farm hand, was called in and Mrs Umber said, “Go immediately and call the farmer!” Leroy set off riding the old farm bicycle. But it had not
Tooter was a large goose on Farmer Weber’s farm. When Farmer Weber installed a new horn on his farm van, Tooter fell in love with it. “It sounds just like me!” he declared to the farm animals, “Just listen to it!” The farm creatures were all fed up of Tooter honking loudly all over the
“Cordelia is a very silly name for a dog!” said Farmer Dawson. “It’s out of Shakespeare!” replied Mrs Dawson who was very well-read. “It’s still a very silly name!” he announced, marching off. Unknown to them, Cordelia, the beautiful spaniel, had found a friend. He was Bump, a mongrel, who wandered into the farm one
The farm truck was quite old. It creaked and clattered as Farmer Biggles drove it to the market. Often he had to stop because the engine smoked! One day, a tramp stopped at the farm. He wore tattered clothes and was hungry. Farmer Biggles and his wife gave him food and he had a bath
Edward, the large work-horse at the farm, was tired of standing in his stall at the stable. “I spend the whole day at the fields, take the cart to the market and back, give rides to Farmer Bowles and his family, and at the end of the day I’m exhausted!” he announced to Becky, the
Deep Eddies or Underwater Whirlpools produced by ocean currents flowing around terrain features like submerged mountains are a hazard to underwater navigation. Tidal currents can produce giant whirlpools. In 2014, Chinese Submarine 372 started plunging unexpectedly into an ocean trench and its pressure pipe burst. Only prompt action in closing valves and releasing gas to