The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-27
FORTHE BOYS g. GIRLS.
TIE SILLY SHEEP.
Ply PEoFF>SOE J. ALDEN, u. u.

Para" said Theodore. "what do Won think
I.av TODAY? 7 saw Mr. Freeman's sheep
;,np down the rrccipicc-I didn't see them
;unr but saw them at the bottom. Some
or them were killed Nv the fall, and some of
them had their legs broken. so that Mr. Free
man had to Kill them. They were taking
thew skins Of as came along"
GLOW did it happen ," >aid Mr. Thorne.
"W'hv. YOU see. papa, this afternoon there
!. no school. and some of the children went
M to the hill for strawberries, and they LETT
tLc bars down between Mr. Frecmans pasture
and the mellow. and the sheep went IL" the
meadow. Well, Mr. Freeman saw the sheep
in the meadow, and sent John to drive them
ont. John went after them. and was driving
them along the wall, because the grass wasn't
50 high there; and when they come to the
very SPOT where the wall is built on the brink
of the prccipicc, YOU know, one sheep jumped
M on tn" wall, and then jumped right down
the prccipicc Another one jumped over af-
fer her. and another, and another John
halloed at them. and began to run; but that
ONLY made them Jump the faster. one after
another. in the very same place; and before
I've got there to drive them away, fourteen
had Jumped over. OF these. two or three
were not so much hurt but that they could
walk: two or three were killed outright, and
the rest had their legs so much broken that
they were obliged to kill them, and they have
not cot all their skins taken off yet"
at was all owing. then, it seems, to the
carcleSsness of. the children in leaving the
bars down. They are very apt to do So
Sometimes | have thought wouldn't let any
body come on my land to get berries they so
often cause me so much damage"
But, papa, sir, what made the sheep jump
down the precipice?
''Probably when the first sheep leaped up
on the wall, it was with so much force that
she could not stop when she saw the preci-
pcc below. and the rest followed in the same
manner Where one sheep goes the rest fol-
low. as a matter of course; such is their ma
tnrc. and hence the phrase YOU have often
heard 'as silly as a Sheep"
Eyes. sir. have often heard it, but didn't
know what it meant for never saw ANYTHING
,hout sheep that looked particularly silly.
we ecen little lambs act as if they were very
.unnine. But will sheep follow one another
everywhere? If they had seen the precipice
10 YOU think they would have followed their :
ealcr.'
"Prohablv not but they were very silly.
it is proper to speak thus of an animal DIES
tutr of reason in not seeing where they
ere going. 1t would he we'll if only ira
onal animals acted in this way"
What other animals besides sheep DO 500"
"RnvS and girls. and men"
Bows and girls. and men, Do they ever
Hil' 'p"H Iic'II'Itc> AFTER one another
YES
Para don't mean as he SAYS"
''What does he mean. then -
II don't know: guess he means that rco-
Q are very apt to do as they see other peo-
c do. without thinking whether it is risht
not >"
"lrS. sir. great many times. have seen
Ne boy do somrthin. bad because h. sees
aother one do so; but that is not jumping
'wr prccipice, is it:
at is good deal worse: to jump down
prccipice might destroy the body. but to do
r"ng will certainly destroy the soul The
ext time you are inclined to do wronr. in
nltaion of another's example. remember
nat by so doing YOU act like an irrational be-
~. and plunge down more fearful prec
than flo would