4 The Great Gathering
Harold & Aran joined Cornelius' flock who told them about 'The Great Gathering' that they were on their way to. Animals from all across the land were gathering in a nearby valley and it promised to be an event of biblical proportions.
From early afternoon the sheep dogs were busy helping to herd all the animals in to the valley. Jock Maloney and Tiger Bennett were the two main dogs that helped organize this huge job and behind the scenes a black working cocker spaniel called Carlos and his assistant Freddy were busy delegating jobs to keep the flow of animal's steady and smooth. These guys were the best of the best in the animal logistics business and no job was too big for them.
Millions of animals were arriving and great excitement was in the air. The dogs loved their job but it was taking a team of three hundred and fifty skilled Sheepdogs, Spaniels, Border Collies plus an assortment of other dogs including a gang of Zanzibari beach hounds to keep the crowds in order. It was the biggest meeting that they had ever organized.
Sheep of all descriptions from all over the valley and far beyond had been arriving all day. Cows, pigs, goats,donkeys, ponies and horses descended on the vale from far and wide. You could feel the excitement in the air. Many were shouting and chanting 'Freedom! Freedom! Freedom'. Some of them just made enthusiastic animal noises.
It was indeed a mighty sight to behold and wide-eyed Harold and Aran took it all in. It was beyond their wildest dreams and their hearts were singing. The feeling of camaraderie was incredible and made the wool on their necks stand up. Young and old, different species together, united in this one cause, the fight of their lives...the fight for freedom.
For hours they had been filling up the valley and all the surrounding hills. Some groups were singing and dancing, playing drums and generally getting their freak on. Some had loudspeakers and were blasting out psychedelic sheep rock and some just sat in silent meditation and prayer amid the joyful chaos. It was beautiful man, like an animal Woodstock.
I've never seen anything like this said Harold and Aran nodded his head in agreement. He couldn't find the words to explain how he felt. A sense of belonging, a sense of new things coming, of hope. As they wandered through a crowd of cows sitting in silent meditation like Buddhist monks, all mooing together which created a vibration that went right through Harold and Arans bodies, they stopped and hugged each other with tears running down their faces.
As the hours passed and the valley filled up and all you could see for miles around was a sea of happy animal faces. A herd of beautiful exotic Llamas from the Andes Mountains turned up and caused quite a stir. Harold chatted to Rama Llama their leader, or 'High Llama' as he liked to be known, for some time. It was great to have real conversation again, to discuss the issues of the day and world politics and hear different points of views.
Harold had never spoken with a Llama before so he found the talk very enlightening and what he saw before him, surrounded by these beautiful animals, was that they all fundamentally felt the same. They all had pure hearts and wanted peace, freedom and an end to this Tyranny that had gone on since the beginning of time.
As the evening drew in it became quite a party. Harold and Aran lost themselves in the crowds, dancing, singing and sharing food and stories with all the animals they met. Michael Jackson's 'They don't care about us' was blasting out from a speaker and a crowd of chickens drummed along to it. Powerful stuff. Everybody united together supporting one cause. A Llama offered Aran and Harold a beer. Aran accepted and not being used to drink was a little merry after a few sips and joined in with the throng, singing at the top of his voice:
All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us
All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us
Some things in life they just don't wanna see (Ah)
But if Martin Luther was livin'
He wouldn't let this be, no, no
Skinhead, deadhead (Yeah, yeah)
Everybody's gone bad
Situation, segregation (Woo-hoo)
Everybody, allegation
In the suite on the news
Everybody dog food (Woo-ho)
Kick me, kike me
Don't you wrong or right me
He sang with all the chickens drumming around him. Harold stood watching adding the 'whoo hoo' and catching Aran's eye they both laughed. Harold himself was teetotal, never touched the sauce, as he called it but he was non-judgmental and he smiled as he watched his friend enjoying himself. Harold was high on life and that was all he needed.
It was a day of coming together and of trying new thing, of discussion, laughter and tears. They listened to other animals stories of what they had gone through on farms,fields, abattoirs and how they had escaped and seen some terrible atrocities. Tales of been medicated, abused, living in squalor, babies torn from mother's arms. It was hideous and heartbreaking and many tears were shed as stories were told. Anger was felt and determination that this needed to end, yet it was also uplifting and cathartic and a lot of love was in the air as they all came together as one.
Harold had enjoyed line dancing for the first time and he had really gotten into it. He watched for a while as they all danced the wobble.
'All the shorties in the house,' shouted a big white chicken
'Drop it down,
Let me see you dance!
Baby wobble, baby wobble,
1, 2
1,2, 3
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Now work it out!
Now left foot,
Baby wobble... baby wobble ...baby ...work it out
Now right foot.'
Harold picked it up quite quickly, Aran not so quick had ended up going the wrong way all the time making everyone laugh. They sat afterwards and chatted to the chickens listening to their horrific story of living in boxes with horrible deformed bodies never mingling in the open, never doing natural chicken things. Harold had never realized such atrocities existed in the chicken world.
He came across a group of pigs playing chess. He stood mesmerized wondering what they were doing. It looked interesting.
'Hey Mutton,' this big fat piggy said, 'wanna learn how to play chess?'
'Sure, why not Porky?' he said in jest.
The great pig stood up and stretched out his trotter and they shook hoofs.
' Name is Arnold, Arnold the Pig, nice to meet you.' he said.
'I'm Harold,' said Harold, wondering to himself if he should say 'Harold the Sheep' but decided that just Harold would suffice.
He sat down on the other side of the chess board facing Arnold's wise piggy countenance.
'I hail from Gloucester, I'm a Gloucester Old Spot you know,' he told Harold in quite a posh voice.
Wow I never knew there were so many types of Pigs, thought Harold as Arnold introduced him to his friends a 'large white' called predictably Whitey, a group of Tamworth's, even some small pot-bellied squealers.
So Harold learnt the rudiments of chess from this intelligent, calm, kind pig and also learnt all about the different types of pigs. They discussed finance and commerce and Harold had questioned if the world actually needs money?
'Why can't we have a currency of Kindness? Then the richest would be the kindest?' Harold suggested.
Arnold at first dismissed this idea but in the end started to think 'Why not? this is genius!' Money has created greed and horrendous things were done just for money. Money it could be said was the root of all evil. Harold had enjoyed this discussion and learning chess from these wonderful creatures and as they finished yet another game Aran returned looking a little drunk at this point as he'd now had a few shots of tequila.
'You've got to come with me Harold, I've met the most wonderful singing pig.
'Oh that must be Marvin the Pig,' said Whitey, 'he's got a wonderful voice, let's go and hear him sing.'
Off they trotted...well, the pigs trotted a little more than Harold and Aran.
A crowd had gathered around a beautiful smooth black pig. He was singling and had all the moves as he glided around singing 'What's going on?' with the crowd swaying and joining in and singing along.
There was a hot girl pig on bongos and three smooth black pigs dancing in unison behind him.
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, yeah
Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
Oh, what's going on (What's going on)
What's going on (What's going on)
What's going on (What's going on)
What's going on (What's going on)
Right on, baby
Right on, baby
Right on
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply 'cause our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some…
Enraptured, Harold sang along dancing with Aran ' brother brother brother what's going on what's going on there's far too many of you dying you know you've got to find a way to bring some lovin here today.'
'What's going on?' the crowd all sang loudly together 'What's going on?' These were the coolest pigs on the planet
'Who-ho-ho-ho-hoooo right on yie-yie-yie-yieyiiii' crooned Marvin. 'What's happening brother?'
Everyone was filled with love for one another. It was a wonderful moment and they all felt like family.
