TORO

In 1969, on a school band trip, I visited a farm for the first time. Having never been on a farm before I was very excited about everything I might see there. Visions of everything about farms ran through my mind for months awaiting the day of the trip. The animals, crops, farmers and their wives, the barn, the farmhouse… everything. I couldn’t stop thinking about farms.

My name is Laila. I was fifteen years old and in the tenth grade at the time. I attended Martin Luther King Academy in Shakespeare Park, Louisiana. And I played the clarinet in the school band and orchestra. We had a band trip every year. In 1969, we got to visit a farm. All the band members were excited. And as the day of the trip neared, we all grew anxious.

After school, the day before our trip, I walked home with friends who lived near me as we usually did. We talked about how exciting it was to be going on a field trip to a farm. They were all very happy for me and wanted me to tell them everything I learned about farms when I returned. We arrived at the corner where we always split up to go to our respective homes, said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways.

When I got home, my mother had prepared an after-school snack for me as she usually did. She asked me how school was. I told her it was good and although I had told her what seemed like a million times, I told her again how excited I was about the band trip to the farm in the morning. She listened to my going on about farming and such without making me feel silly about it. I love my mother dearly. Her name is Sandra. And I love my father too. His name is John. They are the greatest parents in the world.

As the evening went on, my mother made dinner. We usually sat down for dinner just after my father got home around five-thirty pm. Today was no different. I usually set the table while father freshened up from his day’s work. As we sit together at the table for dinner, we talk about everything that happened that day. And somehow, my parents always made our conversations enjoyable.

After dinner, we cleared the table, rinsed the dishes, loaded them in the dishwasher, tidied up the kitchen, and went to the living room to watch a little TV before bedtime. Because I had to be at school at six am to get signed in and load up our instruments and bags for the trip, my mother suggested I get to bed early. She had packed most of my things already. But she told me I should take a look and make sure I had everything I wanted to take. So, I checked my suitcase, added a couple of my favorite things, and got ready for bed. Still reeling about seeing a farm for the first time, it was hard to fall asleep. But finally, the sandman came and I went fast asleep.

"Hey! Hey you! What's your name? Psst! Hey! Hey you!", said a voice.

I heard the voice faintly and answered, "My name is Laila. Who are you? Where are you?"

"I'm over here. You can't see me?"

"No", I said, "I can't see you."

"Ok, I'll come closer. Can you see me now?"

"Yes, I can. You are a bull!!", I said surprisingly. "What are you doing here?"

The bull answered, "I heard you are interested in farming. So, I thought I'd visit you and tell you a little about farms. My name is Toro!"

"Well, hello Toro! Very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Laila. I would like you to meet my family."

"Your family", I quizzed?

"Yes. I am the sire of thirty-two calves."

"What is a sire", I asked?

Toro responded, "a sire is a father."

"You mean you have thirty-two children?"

"That's correct”, Toro said! "I have twenty-two boys and ten girls.”

“Oh my! That's terrific", I said!”

"My cow's names are Betsy, Joannie, Sarah, Cindy, and Clara. I believe they are called wives in human form."

"Oh yes," I said. "My mother is married to my father and she is his wife. But my father only has one wife."

"Yes, I know about that. It's different with some animals."

"I see", I said.

"But enough about me. I'd like you to meet my cows and calves."

As Toro completed his sentence all thirty-two calves started dancing into my view one by one, mooing their names to me. I was fascinated. After they'd all danced by, Toro's wives approached my view walking slowly toward me introducing themselves. Each one mooed their name, curtsied, and walked away until they were out of sight. After the last one was out of sight, Toro reappeared.

"What do you think of my family, Laila", Toro asked?

"You have a lovely family, Toro."

"Thank you. But there is more to a farm than bulls and cows. I'd like to introduce you to some of my other friends that live with us here on the farm. Here is my friend "Red". He is a rooster."

The rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed to Laila and began telling Laila his story.

"I am a bird. A rooster. Roosters are male birds. Some people call me a cock. My younger brothers are cockerels. My adult counterpart, the females of my species, are called hens. And their younger sisters, who cannot lay eggs yet, are called pullets. I commend hens because they are much more useful to people than roosters. Hens are the ones who lay eggs that humans love to eat and farmers can make a living with by selling them. Not to say that my job on the farm is not important. My job is to protect the hens from predators who come to kill and eat them."

Red calls out to Toro, "Hey Toro, how'd I do telling Miss Laila about my breed?"

"Just great, Red", Toro responded!

I chimed in, "You did a great job, Red. I learned a lot about chickens." Correcting myself, I said, "I mean, roosters, cocks and cockerels, and hens and pullets. More than I knew before you told me. Thank you!"

"No, thank you, Miss Laila," Red said. "It was my pleasure."

Red strutted away until he was out of sight.

Toro said, " Red's quite a gentleman."

"Yes, he is! I have a question though."

"What's that, Laila", Toro asked?

"Do you call him "Red" because of that thing on top of his head?"

Toro answered, "You are very observant, Miss Laila. The answer is yes! The red fleshy stuff on top of a rooster's head is called a comb. And the other red flesh that dangles under his chin is called a wattle. To a hen, a rooster with a large bright comb is very attractive."

"That's very interesting.", I said. "I didn't know anything about the stuff I learned from you and Red today."

"And we have only scratched the surfaced of farming. There are so many different types of farms and farm animals. Many farms grow food and do not have animals. When a farmer grows food, he grows it in what's called crops. Every vegetable we eat grows on a farm. Corn, lettuce, peas, broccoli...

"I know a little about crops", I said.

Fruit is grown in what's called orchards or groves. Apples, oranges, pears, grapefruit... There is a scientific order for everything that grows on and off a farm."

"Wow, Toro! I am very happy you shared this with me. I am going on a trip to a farm and...

Toro interrupts. "I wish I had more time to show and tell you more about a farm. But it's time for you to get up and get ready for your trip."

"How do you know I am going on a trip, Toro?'

"I told you, I heard about it. Time to go now, Laila. See you next time."

"Don't leave, Toro! Where are you going", I cried?

As the vision of Toro slowly disappeared, I heard a soft voice calling me.

"Laila... Laila! It's time to get up, sweetheart." It was my mother.

I opened my eyes slowly. I didn't want to wake up. When the sleep finally cleared my eyes, I realized I'd been dreaming.

I looked at my mother and cried aloud, "Mother”, I had the most wonderful dream! I met Toro the bull and Red the rooster. And I met Toro's family. He has thirty-two calves and five wives. They are all beautiful. And Red, the rooster was such a gentleman...

Mother cut me off saying, "That's nice Laila. But, it's time to get ready for your trip to the farm. Are you still excited about it?"

"Yes, mother", I said, but I have already begun my trip.