Rosie clung to the tup’s neck, but he wasn’t having any of it. If there were no tasty sheep nuts or a mouthful of hay, he didn’t want to know. He lifted his head in defiance of her grip. He was too strong for Rosie to control. Then he turned round and butted her in the stomach, before stamping his foot in defiance, as he looked at her with contempt.

Rosie fell over amongst the sheep and her skirts became covered with sheep droppings. She was near to tears. Her ribs and stomach hurt as she swore at her favoured lamb.

‘I told you – he’s turned into a right bastard. Are you alright?’ Danny looked at his daughter as she sat up. ‘Another month and he’ll be even more of a nuisance. He’s come and butted me a time or two, it’s time he was off.’

‘Aye, let him go, lass, he’ll fetch a good price at market. As you say, he’s a good one for breeding from; he’ll not go for meat.’ Archie looked across at Danny and gave Rosie his hand as she climbed back over the fence to regain her place opening the gate. ‘Tha’s a bit fragrant. You’d better find time to fill the tin bath before supper, or your mother will have something to say.’

Rosie looked down at her long dress. It was stained with sheep droppings and urine, from where she had fallen on the cobbles of the pen. ‘Bloody ungrateful thing. And he’s hurt my ribs.’

‘Now then, lass, no need to swear. Its nobbut a bit of muck, it’ll wash off. I think it’s your pride that’s been hurt, more than yourself. You looked to climb that fence alright.’ Archie grinned. ‘Go and get washed, I can manage the ones we have left.’

‘No, I’ll stay. This is my job and I’m not letting him get the better of me.’ Rosie leaned over the gate and looked at the wild-eyed tup lamb that had been so ungrateful for her affections. ‘I don’t care if he is butchered now, the stupid animal.’