day 28

Tuesday. Lotta was still miserable. Leo went to Hawthorne Valley. Ollie went to consortium and got complements on his fine work. Meanwhile, one sheep, the blue one, (like the one below) had three babies, triplets, and they were all small and died, born dead, she didn't even lick them.

This brings to mind the oldest book in history, the tale of Gilgamesh. Why? Wait a second.





Meanwhile Rosie, the only sheep with a name, this sheep, had one baby and no milk. So I milked the blue sheep and we fed Rosalien, the baby of Rosie, in the house with a baby bottle -- all of which took a lot of commotion.

Finally got the ferrier here and our horses behaved. Such nice horses, we really should ride more. Maybe this weekend, after the baby is born.

Now, back to Gilgamesh:

Gilgamesh was the great hero from the oldest written story in human history, about 2700 BC. After many great adventures, the goddess Ishtar tries to get Gilgamesh to be her consort, husband, something like that.

He isn't really going for it. He points out how everyone else who became her consort met a bad end, that it is never a good idea to marry a goddess. That Gilgamesh, he was smart. So Ishtar tries to promise him stuff, basically bribes:

The Lullubu people' will bring you the produce 

of the mountains and countryside as tribute. 

Your she-goats will bear triplets, your ewes twins,

your donkey under burden will overtake the mule,

your steed at the chariot will be bristling to gallop,

your ax at the yoke will have no match.

El pueblo de los Lulubi te traerá los frutos 

de las montañas y del campo como tributo.

tus cabras parirán trillizos, tus ovejas gemelos,

tu asno cargando superará a la mula,

tu corcel en la carroza se erizará por galopar,

el buey bajo el yugo no encontrará pareja.

You see her trick? Triples are too many. Don't get greedy Gilgamesh: two is enough. Three, they will all be small and die.