Betsy the Chocolate Milk Cow
Once upon a time, in the warm, sunny hills of California, there lived a little brown spotted cow named Betsy. Betsy spent her days eating the rich, green grass, drinking fresh water from flowing streams, and sun bathing in the warm, ocean sun. Betsy loved to pounce and play with all of the other cows, and up until her adolescence, she felt just like any other little cow.
Betsy knew that the time was approaching that she would get to be a big girl and go to the dairy to be milked. Betsy day dreamed about the dairy while she chewed her cud. About the pretty shiny tanks that would hold all of the milk, about the nice farmers that would feed her delicious hay while they milked her, and about how big and proud she would feel that she was a big girl and was able to produce milk.
Betsy chattered about the dairy all the time to her friends. She talked about it with the little blue jays that sat on the fence. She chatted about it with Mr. Hopkins the bunny that would stop by to nibble on some fresh lettuce that was growing near by. Why, Betsy was so excited about the soon approaching dairy trip that she even talked about it to Mr. Fox, who had come to cause trouble with all of the little animals that lived on the farm.
Finally, the day that Betsy had been waiting for had arrived, and she was herded into the dairy. Betsy squealed with delight!
"Moooooo!" she cried.Betsy watched anxiously as all of the other cows were milked one by one, there fresh white milk flowing freely into the shiny tin buckets.
Finally, it was her turn. She held her head high and proud as little boy Timmy pulled up his stool and bucket and took his place under Betsy. But, as soon as the milking had started, it had stopped again, and little boy Timmy had a very puzzled look on his face. Betsy could here all of the other cows chattering, and soon they were laughing. Little boy Timmy had run to get his father, to show him what had happened.
"What's the matter?" cried Betsy. "Why did he stop?"
"Because," said Alice, a much older, wiser cow, "Your milk is no good. Don't you see it in the bucket there? It came out brown."
And with that, all the other little cows started laughing.
"Betsy has brown milk, Betsy has brown milk!" they chanted.
Betsy kicked the bucket over and ran out of the dairy as fast as her little cow legs could carry her. She ran and ran, and did not stop running until the dairy was far behind her. And not only until Betsy could not see any glimpse of it did she finally stop running. She lay down under an apple tree and cried.
"Now I'll never be any use to the farmer," said Betsy, "and he will probably get rid of me like those other cows I've seen being loaded onto trucks."Betsy cried and cried.
"What's wrong, Betsy?" asked the little blue jay who had landed in the apple tree above her head. "Why are you crying?"
"Didn't you hear?" asked Betsy, "My milk is no good and now I will never be a milk cow. All of the other cow's made fun of me and I will never go back there again."
"Oh no," said the little blue jay, "A cow with no milk is no use to a dairy farmer, Betsy, and he will probably send you away." And with that, the little blue jay flew away and left Betsy to cry to herself again.
"Boo hoo hoo and boo moo moo!" wailed Betsy.
"What's a matter, Betsy?" asked Mr. Hopkins the little bunny. "I could hear you crying from all the way in my den."
"Didn't you hear?" asked Betsy, "My milk is no good and now I will never be a milk cow. All of the other cows made fun of me and I will never go back there again."
"Oh no," said Mr. Hopkins, " A cow with no milk is no use to a dairy farmer, and he will most likely send you away."
"I know!" wailed Betsy. And with that, Mr. Hopkins hopped away and left Betsy to cry to herself again.
"Boo hoo hoo and boo moo moo!" wailed Betsy.
"I know I shouldn't care, but whats wrong little cow?" asked Mr. Fox. He had heard Betsy crying while he was robbing a chicken coop, and decided to come over and see what the matter was.
"Didn't you hear?" asked Betsy, "My milk is no good and now I will never be a milk cow. All of the other cows made fun of me and I will never go back there again."
"Well," said Mr. Fox, "whats the matter with your milk?"
"It came out brown instead of a beautiful creamy white, and I've never been so embarrassed!" cried Betsy.
"Let me have a taste of that milk," said Mr. Fox, "for I think I know what could be going on." And sure enough, after Mr. Fox had a taste of Betsy's milk, Mr Fox had a big smile on his face.
"Betsy!" he cried, "do you realize what I am tasting?"
"Is it that bad!" wailed Betsy "I knew you shouldn't have tasted it."
"No Betsy, its not bad at all," said Mr. Fox. "In fact, it is the most delicious, amazing, creamiest, CHOCOLATIEST milk I have ever tasted in my life!"
"Chocolatiest?" asked Betsy.
"That's right," said Mr. Fox. "Betsy, the reason your milk came out brown is because you are a chocolate milk cow, and I bet that farmer is looking for you right now. There are only a few chocolate milk cows in the world, and this makes you very special indeed!"
Mr. Fox then ran away, and Betsy turned to see Little boy Timmy and the farmer running towards her.
"There she is!" cried Timmy, "there is that special cow that the chocolate milk came out of!"
And from that day forward, Betsy was the most popular cow on the farm. She ate the freshest grass and drank the cleanest water. She got to visit the dairy daily, and she felt very proud. And Betsy was never made fun of again.