XXVI. Our Lawn Mower 



ONCE more opportunity has knocked at my 

 door and I failed to take advantage, and 

 now it is too late. When the lamb had 

 his leg broken he and his mother and sister 

 were kept in the orchard, so that he wouldn't have 

 to run about so much. The orchard includes the 

 lawn around the house, and as the spring advanced 

 the lawn naturally was the first spot to offer in- 

 viting pasture. The result was that the sheep came 

 right up to the door to nibble the young and juicy 

 grass. Mary Belle pushed her way through the 

 fence so that she could be with her young friends 

 and the flock were able to make quite a showing 

 in their attacks on the grass. I was not long in no- 

 ticing how well they did the work that I usually 

 have to do with a lawn mower, and I saw where I 

 could have some freedom from this irksome task this 

 summer, simply by turning the sheep to graze on the 

 lawn from time to time. From this discovery it was 

 only a logical step to think of having the sheep 



113 



