Son of Krypton, Daughter of Earth

Farm Days

Clark and Lexy attended to the chores after breakfast, and finished most of them by the time the Kents and Larry returned after lunch. They got out of the car, carried their luggage into the house and took it upstairs. They came downstairs to find Clark in the living room, updating farm records.

"How'd it go?" Jonathan asked Clark.

"Quiet, Pa," he said. "How was the party?"

"Ask Larry," Jonathan said.

Clark looked at Larry.

"It was great, Clark. We played games, and swam in the pond, and told stories around a fire." The boy sighed. "Kansas is wonderful. New Barzon is, too. I hope Kandor is this cool." Clark laughed.

Lexy came in the living room. "Hey, yall. Martha, sad to say the white hen died and we buried her behind the barn. The black hen is sitting on two eggs, but of course they won't hatch because there's no rooster.

"That black hen was always broody," said Martha. "Jonathan, why don't we get some birds or new hatches from Elijah Carvin, if he has them? He sells them."

"Sure."

"I need to go to town," said Clark. "Want me to pick some up on the way back?"

"Sure."

Four hours later Clark drove back from Smallville with Larry, who wanted to go to the library. A half-grown rooster, not yet sporting adult feathers, and ten eggs, which Elijah promised would hatch in a week, were in the truck bed. Larry was leafing through a book on football when he suddenly said, "Clark! Stop! Look at that."

Clark looked on Larry's side and saw a dead nanny goat with one dead kid and another bleating beside it. He pulled the truck over and he and Larry walked over to the animals. The kid backed off, bleating for its mother.

"Looks like they got hit by something," Clark said.

"Yeah, too bad. What are you going to do about that little one? We can't leave him here."

"Her. That's a nanny, not a billy. We'll take her with us. Don't know of anyone around who has goats. They may have wandered a long way."

"To end here. Travelers like us." Larry went after the kid, but she backed away. He put on some superspeed, and caught the kid. She bleated louder for her mother. Larry said. "If we put it in the truck bed, it might jump out." He waited for Clark's answer.

Clark managed not to grin and said, "Can you hold it in the car? You'll need to get in the back seat."

"Sure," said Larry, holding the little nanny so she couldn't wriggle away, the warm, little body snug against him. Clark opened the door to the back seat of the cab and Larry climbed in. Clark shut the door and got behind the wheel. He drove back to the farm, the kid's bleats fading away as it settled down and waited for whatever would happen next.

*

Larry put the kid in a small pen at the farm while Clark went to get Jonathan. The kid stood there silently, watching Larry until the men returned. He tried to coax her over but she wouldn't come to him.

Jonathan caught the kid and examined her.
"She looks healthy, well-fed, about 5-6 weeks old." Jonathan put the kid down and it moved away from him. "I don't know anyone hereabouts who keeps goats. I'll post a note at the feed store and see if someone wants a goat."

Larry's face fell. "I suppose that's best for her."

Jonathan patted his shoulder. "Goats are herd animals. She really needs other goats for company. You can care for her till we find her a home, if you like. She'll need a bottle three or four times a day." Martha walked up behind them.