A Bad Experience

During the time that her pen was still open, Pipke sometimes went to the meadow behind the garden on her own and, one time she had been really lucky!

We only discovered that she had luck that day because a kind neighbor told it afterwards.

Here follows what happened.

As I told you already, Pipke was always interested in someone with a *shovel in his hands.

She associated *this with “earthworms”.

In the meadow

Searching for earthworms with Opa and the chickens!

Spring 1997

So - one afternoon - while we were not home - she went to the meadow because she had seen there one of our neighbors gardening with a shovel on his vegetable plot.

Of course – she wanted to look for earthworms with him - she was used to do that together with my hubby - but - that neighbor didn't like that at all.

I fully understand that he didn't want to be bothered while he was working but, he was so cruel to give her a stamp with his clog! He shouted loud while he hunted her away and so she ran very scared to the other side of the meadow. Unfortunately - there she came out on the roadway - a very dangerous place for her! Luckily she knew the danger of the roadway and she was so clever to run away to one of our neighbor's front garden.

That neighbor found her there - totally in panic. She was there looking for a way back home. He and his wife tried to catch her but, that went not so easy because she always ran away.

Eventually they managed to catch her and they were so kind to put her back over the fence into the meadow so she could go back home on her own. They saw her running home towards the little gate in the fence as fast as she could.

We didn't know what had happened on that very afternoon because we'd found Pipke swimming in her pond when we came back home. We only learned to know it because the neighbor who'd found her in his front garden told it to us that same evening.

We were relieved that this bad experience ended well, but we are still angry at that gardener because he had endangered her.

He could have put her over the fence, he even could have closed the little gate of her pen.

But- that's how it goes. Not everyone has the same good feelings towards animals. Actually - he wasn't a person who really loved animals. He never treated them with respect, for him they were only objects. He behaved very indifferent against animals. They couldn't touch his heart.

He told us afterwards what had happened with Pipke at his plot as if he'd done nothing wrong.

Of course he had the right to work on his plot without being disturbed by (in his eyes) a silly duck, but he had not the right to stamp her with his clog!

That is ultimately animal cruelty.

The Winter that followed (1996-1997), Pipke was alone in her pen without the bossy Chicky and she had no problem at all with the cold. She spent most of the time swimming in her little pond, but she wasn't so keen on snow! When my hubby went to her pen in the early morning to let her out she sometimes refused to step into the snow – she really didn't like cold feet! She then laid herself on her belly in the snow, to warm her feet between her feathers.

She didn't like cold feet!

That was so funny to see! 

When I called her she then jumped up - and while her toes barely touched the ground - she flew towards me!

What had happened with the vegetable gardner was a bad experience for her and, luckily it ended well. 

The story shows how cool and how insensible "some people" behave towards animals. 

Luckily there would follow many funny events. 
Next time I will tell you about such one.

Then I will go further with: A Bet.

Hope to see you then !

Thanks for reading my life story.

One stays alive as long as someone thinks of  you.