Cleverness of a Sheep Dog

Summary

In this story set in Scotland, a severe snowstorm leaves farmers anxious as their sheep become buried under deep snowdrifts. With three hundred sheep missing, the farmers and their team struggle to locate them amidst the vast, snow-covered landscape. Despite their efforts, finding the sheep proves nearly impossible until a clever sheepdog named Rough intervenes. Swiftly and intuitively, Rough marks spots on the snow where he senses sheep underneath, allowing the men to successfully dig them out. Through teamwork and Rough's keen instincts, the majority of the missing sheep are ultimately rescued, showcasing the dog's intelligence and the collaborative effort to overcome a natural disaster.

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Some years ago, there was a terrific snowstorm in Scotland. The snow lay in great drifts many feet deep. The farmers were very anxious about their sheep, for there were hundreds of them unsheltered on the hills at the time. In one farm, no fewer than three hundred were missing, and the farmers with his men and a faithful sheep dog, named Rough, started to search for them.

When they reached the fields, nothing was to be seen but great masses and drifts of snow, several feet thick, under which the poor sheep were buried. The men tried to penetrate the snow in order to get at the missing animals; but their labor was almost in vain, for it was only by the merest chance that they came across a sheep.

The snow was still falling fast when Rough came to the rescue. He understood what was to be done, and, running quickly over the snow, with short, sharp barks, he dug with his paws little holes in various places.

The men went to work beneath these marks, and under each they found a sheep! Thus they worked hard all night, Rough showing where the sheep were buried and the men digging them out, and most of the sheep were saved.