We feel the warmth and vigor of this beautiful day in spring, the fresh green grass with here and there a flower to relieve the green, the soft green leaves of the young and slender trees planted on each side of the road at the right of the picture. This road probably leads direct to the farmhouse we see in the distance. The long meadow, too, seems to reach as far as that same farmhouse, and no doubt will provide pasture all summer for the sheep. Their fleecy white wool will grow long. Then will come sheep-shearing time, and the wool will be sent away to be woven into cloth.
In the picture the light falls strongly upon the backs of the sheep, on the head and shoulders of the man, and on the wooden shoes he wears.
The dog stands there expectant, ready to pursue any wayward sheep. It is wonderful how much these shepherd dogs know, and how much they help their owners. In some countries the sheep are kept out in the fields or among the hills all night. The shepherd rolls himself up in a blanket and sleeps securely near them, knowing full well that the faithful dog will remain on guard, allowing none to stray away or come to harm.
Sometimes, when the shepherd wishes to collect his flock and drive them to the fold or inclosure for the night, many of them have wandered up into the mountains to almost inaccessible heights, but the dog will find them, every one. He has a way of making the sheep understand what they are expected to do. He circles around and around them so quickly that none can escape, and he seems to have some mysterious way of counting them, for if one is missing off he goes, seldom failing to return with it.
The story is told of a shepherd who, with but one dog, was guarding seven hundred lambs. At midnight they suddenly took fright and, dividing into three sections, disappeared over the hills. The man could do nothing until daylight, but the morning found the lambs gathered in a valley and guarded by the faithful dog, from whose vigilance not one had escaped.
These intelligent shepherd dogs can be made to understand their masters’ wishes even at a great distance, for they understand and obey motions made with the hands.
Sheep are more helpless than most animals, because they cannot defend themselves against wild animals and because, having no sense of locality, they are so easily lost or led astray.
If a flock of sheep is attacked by wolves, and there are several dogs guarding the flock, very often the dogs will circle around the sheep until they have crowded them as close together as they can; then one of the dogs will continue walking around them, while the others attack and usually beat off the wolves.
Sheep in Autumn