Good Old Days: Little Lamb

by Mildred Olson

1922

She wondered why Papa was putting a large cardboard box in the back of the kitchen stove. She soon found out. With snow swirling around as he opened the kitchen door, she could see a little lamb cuddled under his coat.

Although it was spring and lambing season, winter had returned, tooting her horn loud and threateningly. Papa placed the lamb in the box and the hurriedly contrived a bottle with milk in it and proceeded to force feed the creature.

It survived and became the frisky pet of the family, but it seemed a short time before that loveable pet had to undergo surgery. The usual. She remembers how heartbroken she was when Papa cut its tail off. That long, fleecy tail. What a horrible thing to do.

Later, she discovered that is what they did to all of the lambs. Nevertheless, it didn't ease the pain she felt when it happened to her pet.

A routine part of those good old days? You decide.

Incidentally, Papa cut the finger out of a glove and fashioned it tightly over the end of a long bottle, filled it with milk, and the lamb took to it like it was the real thing.