same. It was about old Laxart going to a funeral there at Domremy two or
three weeks back. He had spots all over his face and hands, and he got
Joan to rub some healing ointment on them, and while she was doing it,
and comforting him, and trying to say pitying things to him, he told her
how it happened. And first he asked her if she remembered that black bull
calf that she left behind when she came away, and she said indeed she
did, and he was a dear, and she loved him so, and was he well?--and just
drowned him in questions about that creature. And he said it was a young
bull now, and very frisky; and he was to bear a principal hand at a
funeral; and she said, "The bull?" and he said, "No, myself"; but said
the bull did take a hand, but not because of his being invited, for he
wasn't; but anyway he was away over beyond the Fairy Tree, and fell
asleep on the grass with his Sunday funeral clothes on, and a long black
rag on his hat and hanging down his back; and when he woke he saw by the
sun how late it was, and not a moment to lose; and jumped up terribly
worried, and saw the young bull grazing there, and thought maybe he could
ride part way on him and gain time; so he tied a rope around the bull's
body to hold on by, and put a halter on him to steer with, and jumped on
and started; but it was all new to the bull, and he was discontented with
it, and scurried around and bellowed and reared and pranced, and Uncle
Laxart was satisfied, and wanted to get off and go by the next bull or
some other way that was quieter, but he didn't dare try; and it was
getting very warm for him, too, and disturbing and wearisome, and not
proper for Sunday; but by and by the bull lost all his temper, and went
tearing down the slope with his tail in the air and blowing in the most
awful way; and just in the edge of the village he knocked down some
beehives, and the bees turned out and joined the excursion, and soared
along in a black cloud that nearly hid those other two from sight, and
prodded them both, and jabbed them and speared them and spiked them, and
made them bellow and shriek, and shriek and bellow; and here they came