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Speaker 1: Yea, hello. My name's Josephine and this is the Animal

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Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in our stories.

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There are new tales to enjoy every Monday and Wednesday,

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with a third premium only story every Friday. Reviews help

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get us noticed amongst all the other podcasts out there,

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so if you can, please take the time to leave

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us one Lluella and Jack are from Millsap, Texas in

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the USA, and they have asked for a story featuring

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a dog, a horse, and a cow. You can learn

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more about these creatures in the animal facts after the story. Okay,

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are you ready? That's good? Then I'll begin copy Christmas.

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There was a chill in the Texas air as Jack

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the dog came bounding into the barn. You'll never guess

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what they're doing now, he said. Luella, a long legged

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Palomino horse, lifted her ears. Go on, do tell, she urged.

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They're up ladders attaching string to the outside of the house,

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said Jack. String. Are you sure, asked Amanda, a Jersey cow.

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Are they tying the house up like a hay bale?

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I don't think so, said Jack. The string has nobbly

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bits hanging from it, like the string has not seen

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it or something. They've all gone mad, I tell you,

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said Amanda. I've never once understood the humans. I still

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don't believe what you said earlier, Jack sniffed the horse.

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I mean, why would any one and take a tree

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inside their house? Trees belong outside, I know, agreed Jack.

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Trees are for chasing squirrels up. And if you didn't

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believe that, you'll never believe what they did to the

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tree next. Despite herself, Louella wanted to know what. She asked.

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They dangled things from it, completely covered it, said the dog,

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daring them to believe him, even stuck a star on top.

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Stars don't belong on trees, pointed out the cow. They

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belong in the sky. If you're telling the truth, said Loella,

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then there is something seriously wrong. Go back and see

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what they're doing now, insisted Amanda. I think we should know.

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Good idea, said Jack, and he raced from the barn,

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leaving the horse and the cow behind. Is he having

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a son, do you think, asked Loella. Or maybe he's confused.

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He is only a dog, after all, He's not normally

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one for lying, pointed out Amanda. I've a feeling in

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my udders that he speaks the truth. Then what exactly

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are those humans doing, Loella wondered. They could tell by

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the low sun casting long shadows that it would be

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night soon. That meant one of the humans would be

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in soon to feed them. It was a worry for

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both animals, after all, if the humans were behaving strangely,

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maybe they might forget about feeding them altogether. But they

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need not have worried. A young woman arrived and began

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sorting their feed, chatting away to them like humans so

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often did she fetching some fresh water. When Jack returned

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in an excited flurry, his tail wagging furiously. Guess what,

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he barked, but had to be shushed by Loella. Sh

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you daft hound, She'll hear you, the horse warned. So

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for a few frustrating minutes, Jack lingered, ears folded back

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as he waited for the human to finish her jobs.

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Loella and Amanda fidgeted restlessly, desperate to learn the news

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that the dog had brought. That's you all done, announced

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the woman as she brushed off her hands. See you

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guys in the morning for the big day. Come on, Jack,

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it's time to feed you too. Normally Jack would follow

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at her heels, but today he hesitated, waiting for the

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human to pass through the barn door. Seeing it was

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now safe, he turned to the two animal's eyes wide

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and said, everything's bright. What do you mean everything's bright?

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Snorted Amanda. It makes no sense, agreed Loella. It's almost

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dark already. No, you don't understand, said the agitated dog.

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The string, the tree, it's all bright. Do you mean lights?

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Asked the horse. Are you saying the string and the

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tree light up? Yes? Yes, barked Jack, That's exactly it,

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and he raced away again, not wanting to miss his meal.

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Well I definitely don't believe him now, snapped Loella. Trees

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and string don't light up. It's not natural. I've had

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enough of this, said the cow. Sounding stern, she began

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nudging at the latch on her stool with her nose.

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What are you doing, shrieked Loella. You know you're not

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supposed to leave your stall. Of course, I know that,

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insisted the cow, But this is important. We need to

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see whatever's going on with our own eyes. Her nose

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wasn't doing the job, so instead she tried her long

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pink tongue. Seconds later she was free. Well, don't leave

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me behind, demanded Loella. I want to see two. Within

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five minutes, the cow and the horse were poking their

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heads through the open barn door, left a jar by

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the human woman so Jack could follow her out, leaving

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their stools without a human present. Never ever happened, so

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both animals were nervous, but they were not disappointed by

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what they saw. The farmhouse was covered in brightly colored lights.

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It looked bizarre and yet strangely beautiful too. And there

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through one of the tall glass windows they could see

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the inside tree, covered in yet more lights, decorations, and

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with a star on top. Amazing, said Louella quietly. Wonderful,

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muttered Amanda. But what does it mean, questioned the horse.

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Why go to all that trouble? The door banged in

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the darkness, startling both animals, but it was only Jack returning.

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Oh boy, have I got more news for you, he

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announced excitedly. Not here, though, said Amanda. Come inside. The

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horse and the cow didn't return to the stalls, but

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instead stood just inside the barn door, eager to learn more.

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It's for some sort of party, he aped the dog.

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A special party. Day. I think more humans are coming,

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and they're bringing treats. As a dog, he liked both

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new people and treats. But a party for what, asked Luella.

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It's got something to do with a special human who

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brings something that you want, explained Jack, although not very well.

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I saw a picture of him. He wears red and

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white and has a fairy head, and he's coming to

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this party, asked Amanda. No, no, that's the weird bit,

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replied Jack. He comes to night and he leaves the

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thing you want while you're sleeping. Then everyone sees what

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he's brought them at the party. This is all terribly confusing,

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complained Loella. Why can't the poor furry headed human stay

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for the party. It doesn't seem fair that he misses it.

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I don't know, shrugged Jack. But what I do know

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is that I would like him to leave me something

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that I want. That would be nice, admitted the horse.

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Do you think he'll leave us something as well? I

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doubt it, said the dog. I think the tree inside

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the house and the bright string is to let the

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fairy headed human know where to go. I'll be all

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right sleeping in the house, but you two don't stand

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a chance. Well that's not fair, complained Amanda. No, it's

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not agreed, Loella, So we should do something about it.

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Whatever do you mean, yelped the cow, sounding shocked. It's

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bad enough that we've left our stalls. Are you suggesting

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we sleep in the house as well? No, of course not,

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said Luella calmly. I'm just saying that maybe we should

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decorate the barn, just like the humans have decorated the house. Oh,

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what a good idea, said Jack, his tail wagging again.

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I'll help. Amanda wasn't sure, but because Jack and Luella

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were keen, she decided to go along with it. Ok,

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she said, what's first. We're going to need a tree,

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said Jack, And I know exactly where we can find one.

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Under the cover of darkness, the dog, the horse, and

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the cow crept from the barn. Jack led them to

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the corner of the pasture, where a tall Texas ash

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tree grew. There, he said proudly, and he began digging

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in the dirt. Oh, Jack, that's far too big, said Luella.

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It's bigger than the barn. Even if you dug it up,

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we'd never drag something that size back again, are you sure,

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asked the dog as he paused his digging. Very sure,

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insisted Amanda. Sorry, but I can't think of another tree,

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he said, sadly. Not a big one anyway, But we

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don't want a big one, remember, reminded Loella. Oh well,

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in that case, follow me, Jack said, and they were

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off again. This time he brought them to a patch

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of land behind the farmhouse that Luella and Amanda had

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never seen before. There were seats and a table, a

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large barbecue, and several pots and tubs with plants in

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this one, said Jack as he wagged his tail beside

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a squat bush. It's not quite a tree, is it,

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pointed out Amanda. You will have to do, decided Loella.

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Inside the family were watching television, and had any of

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them looked up at that moment, they would have seen

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three of the animals nudging one of their plant pots

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across the deck. Fortunately, nobody looked back In the barn,

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Luella gave the pot a final push with her nose,

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then stood back to admire it. What now, she asked, Decorations,

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said Jack, eagerly. Come on. This time, he took them

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to the farm's bins, knocking the lid aside to reveal

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the trash within. It smells a bit, said Amanda. Never

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mind that, said Loella. Try to choose colorful or shiny

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bits there look best. It took several trips, but soon

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the branches of the bush were covered in foil wrappers,

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empty soda cans, and a shredded magazine. They couldn't find

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a star, so they used a banana peal instead. It

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looked like a yellow octopus was perched on the top

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of the bush. Good job, every one, announced Jack. Now

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all we need is some of that bright string. Any

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ideas any one not me, said Amanda, nor me, admitted Loella.

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Well we've got to think of something, said Jack. We're

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so close to making this thing work. Oh wait, I

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have an idea, said Amanda, heading for the door, But

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we may be too late. Curious, the dog and the

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horse followed the cow across the pasture and down the

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slope to where a stream ran along the edge of

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the property. There were lots of bare trees and tall,

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dry grasses here, but nothing at all that looked like string.

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What are we doing here, asked Jack. We're just wasting time. Patience,

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said the cow. Just give me a moment. Then into

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the darkness, she said, hullo, is anyone there? Nothing happened.

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I know it's late in the year, but I was

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wondering if any of you were still around, she asked again.

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Still nothing. Amanda gave it one last try. I can

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offer you somewhere much warmer than this, if you'd care

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to join us. A glint of yellowy green light flickered

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on and off, then another, this one closer, then others

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flashed to their left. All of a sudden, the night

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was alive with pulsating light. Fireflies, gasped Luella. I thought

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they were gone until spring. Let's offer them a lift

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back to the barn, suggested Amanda. They'll be weak and

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tired from the cold. Back at the barn, they encouraged

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the fireflies to take up positions throughout the decorated bush,

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across the rafters, and just about anywhere they could find

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a space. One two, three, go, barked Jack, signaling for

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every firefly to light up. It's beautiful, sighed Luella. Simply marvelous,

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agreed Amanda. We should get back to our stalls before

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the furry headed human finds us out of them. Good idea,

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said Luella, not wanting to get into trouble. Jack was

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so pleased by what they'd achieved that he settled down

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atop a hay bale and joined his companions at marveling

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at the decorations. In doing so, all three were soon

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fast asleep. This was how Santa found them later that night,

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and he was very impressed by their efforts, so he

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reached into his sack and pulled out a beautifully wrapped

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gift for a dog, a horse, and a cow. Animal fact.

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The dog in the story is based on a Blue Lacey,

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a breed of working dog that originated in Texas. They're

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lightly built, but swift and strong, and were named the

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state dog of Texas in two thousand and five. Palomino

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horses have a golden coat of hair with a white

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mane and tail. Their striking color has made them a

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popular horse, particularly in movies and TV shows. Jersey cows

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originated on the island of Jersey, one of the Channel

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islands between the UK and France. Their milk is slightly

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yellower than normal due to high butter fat. Thank you

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for your suggestions, Loella and Jack. We hope you enjoyed

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the tale and Thank you to all of you across

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the world for listening to it. You might like to

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suggest our premium service as a gift for some one special.

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It's available through Apple or Supercast, and the details are

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in the text that accompanies this episode. For a tiny fee,

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it's advert free. Join us next time for another great

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animal tale. Good Bye,