no name

It was mid-june, the little ram was trying to grow big and strong. His mom had three lambs, and both of the others were bigger than no name. When he tried to suck on mom the other lambs pushed him away. No name tried to eat grass and keep himself alive while he grew big. His brother was tall and handsome. His brother had a white blaze on his face and a white tip on his tail....no name thought if only his own tail had a little bit of white on it, his mom would let him eat once in a while all by himself. That milk tasted so good.
But fancy, his big brother, was always hungry...and no name's big sister wasn't going to let anyone suck from her side but her. No name didn't know that his big sister really had a different mommy. Maybe he would have understood. Kiva, the big sister to no name was born to a ewe that died the next day.
Kiva had a mom who loved her very much, and licked her dry, and fed her all the milk she wanted....but kiva's mom couldn't stand up after giving birth. It was one of those long nights when their shepherd lady didn't come to look, to see who needed help. Kiva's mommy needed help badly. By morning she was in pain, but she still let little Kiva nurse. The shepherd lady found Kiva's mom too late to correct her problems....she sent the other shepherd to the vet's office for pain medication....but it was a long way for him to drive, and Kiva's mom was baaing long baas for help before she died. The shepherd lady looked for her gun to help Kiva's mom....to ease her pain...anything....she was running everywhere trying to stop the poor mom's pain....the gun just wasn't there....so she walked the driveway. Unable to face the ewe, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I slept!
Little Kiva kept watch with her dying mommy, until the other shepherd came with his big gun. Then Kiva was all by herself, she was hungry and kept baaing for her dead mommy.
The old shepherd lady kept coming to stick a bottle in Kiva's mouth. Kiva didn't want that bottle, she wanted her mommy.
Then, that night, the lady shepherd put Kiva in a bucket and poured warm sticky water all over her. There was another ewe in labor. The ewe knew all about giving birth, she was licking her lips anticipating the pretty little lambs that were coming. The shepherd lady held Kiva in her hands, the new mommy licked Kiva all over. She forgot all about pushing her own lambs out. She just wanted to lick Kiva over and over.
Kiva knew it wasn't her mommy. This ewe didn't sound like her own mommy, she didn't smell like her own mommy. Kiva baaed in frustration and loneliness. Then the shepherd lady let Kiva down on the floor. There was a bag on this new ewe that looked and smelled just like the bag Kiva used to drink from. Kiva took a good suck. She was so hungry. The milk was warm and comforting. This big old ewe wasn't as pretty, but she was letting kiva eat. Kiva ate and ate. Later the old ewe lay on the floor and pushed out a big boy lamb with white on his face and a white tip on his tail. Kiva let the other boy have one side of her new mom's udder to suck on. Kiva didn't want to lose this new mommy. Then the old ewe pushed out no name. He was plain. He wasn't brown and he wasn't black. Kiva was glossy black, so was fancy the biggest brother. They didn't want to hurt no name....they just wanted to have the milk from the old ewe.
So no name came last when they walked to pasture....if mommy stopped to feed her lambs, no name was too slow to get any milk before his mommy walked on. No names big brother fancy, was their mom's favorite. He walked next to her and called to her all the time. No name knew he wouldn't get any more milk to drink. He would always be little. No one would choose him for a breeding ram, he was too plain and small.
No name heard there was a place that all the unwanted rams were sent. They never came back.
No name figured he would go there too. Maybe in his next life he would have a mommy all to himself. He tried to be a good little ram, but no one cared for him.
Then one day the shepherd lady picked up no name and took him in the truck. No name was so scared, all he could do was baa for the mommy that never fed him. When the truck stopped, another lady and a man took no name and hurt him....what ever they did, it hurt real bad, and no name was already hurt and scared....and always hungry. He could hardly walk after they hurt him, but he got back up, and acted like a brave little ram.
After a few days no name went to another place...there was a little boy there. The boy didn't know how to take care of no name...but he played with him, and pulled his wool to hold him. Poor no name, there were no other sheep at this new home. There was no mommy, no big brothers. Nothing to do but eat what grass he could grab, and pull on the rope that let him go round and round in the yard. No name was lonesome, and didn't grow big. After a while the boy grew tired of playing with no name....and no name slipped into that some where place.... where all the little unwanted ram lambs go.
And that is the end of the story of the little ram with no name.

copyright june 2006