Herdy Stories

(2 minute read) Morning light stretched across the Lake District fells, turning the hills soft gold and bright green. Herdy stood at the foot of Carrock Fell, a neat little map tucked under his hoof. “Today Sheppy,” he announced, “we are setting off on a proper fell adventure!” Sheppy bounced so high he nearly did a somersault. “A fell adventure?!” he barked. “With hills? And rocks? And running?!” “Yes,” said Herdy. “And snacks?!” “…Possibly.” “Best day ever!” barked Sheppy, zooming in excited circles. Off they set, climbing the stony path up Carrock Fell. Herdy walked steadily, step by step. Sheppy dashed ahead, then back again, then ahead again - ears flapping, tail spinning like a propeller. At the top, they stopped to admire the view and catch their breath. “It’s magnificent,” said Herdy looking out across the fells. “Let’s go on to High Pike!” said Sheppy impatiently, looking out towards the next fell. “Lead the way.” Replied Herdy and they both set off, the ground gradually softening beneath their feet. The grass grew longer. The path grew squishier. Squish… squelch… sloop. Sheppy grinned, “Ooooh, bouncy ground!” “Hmmm,” said Herdy. “Perhaps a little too bouncy.” Sheppy took a big enthusiastic leap. SLURP. Sheppy froze, “Uh oh - the ground just hugged my paw.” Before Herdy could respond, GLOOP, both of them sank into the muddy bog. They wriggled and wobbled. The bog wobbled back. “Oh my,” said Herdy. “This is not good.” They tried to climb out but instead sank deeper into the bog. Just then, a small voice piped up, “Bit stuck, are we?” said a tiny worm poking its head out of the mud. “Looks like you’re in a bit of a mess,” croaked a bright green frog as he hopped skilfully onto a tuft of grass nearby. “What should we do?” asked Herdy, never having walked into a bog before. “Lie flat!” said the frog. “Spread your weight!” said the worm. Sheppy hesitated, “You want us to… lie down… in the mud?” “Yes!” the frog and worm replied together. With a dramatic SPLAT, Sheppy flopped flat. Herdy followed. “Now inch forward,” instructed the worm. Slowly, very slowly with a squish, a slide and a wriggle they edged toward firmer ground. With one final push they rolled free to safety. They both lay there, covered in mud from head to hoof, and paw to tail. Sheppy looked at Herdy. Herdy looked at Sheppy. They burst into laughter and turned to their rescuers. “Thank you for saving us!” said Sheppy. “Thank you,” said Herdy warmly. “Would you like to join us for a picnic with on High Pike?” The worm wiggled thoughtfully. “Well… we do enjoy a good picnic.” Together, the four new friends made their way to High Pike, this time, sticking carefully to the path. Up they climbed, higher and higher, until at last they reached the summit. Sheppy spun in a happy circle. Herdy opened his rucksack and pulled out a hearty variety of sandwiches, apples, dog biscuits and a little flask of piping hot tea. He said, “what a perfect spot for a picnic.” They all settled down on the soft grass. The frog nibbled politely. The worm enjoyed a piece of apple. Sheppy munched happily on his biscuits. They sat together, looking out across the beautiful fells. A sheep, a dog, a frog and a worm. Four unlikely friends, sharing a picnic at the top of the world. As the sun began to drift lower in the sky, Sheppy thought about everything that had happened that day. “Thank you again for helping us today.” said Sheppy gratefully, “If you hadn’t come along we might still be stuck!” The frog and worm chuckled and felt proud. “Good friends,” said Herdy, “come in all shapes and sizes, and when we listen, help one another, and work together, we can overcome even the trickiest problems.” And with that, they packed up their picnic and headed home, already dreaming about their next adventure.

(3 minute read) It was a gloriously sunny spring day in the Lake District. Herdy and Sheppy were up early packing for their latest adventure, to canoe the length of the deepest lake in England — Wastwater. Obviously, it was going to take a great deal of strength and persistence to paddle the three miles to the other end and three miles back again, so they packed plenty of snacks and lots of water. Sheppy packed his favourite high-protein dog biscuits while Herdy stuffed a bag of sheep nuts into his rucksack, along with a slice of lemon drizzle cake, two blueberry muffins and, just to be on the safe side, a bar of Kendal Mint Cake. “You never know when you might need an extra energy boost,” Herdy said to an increasingly excitable Sheppy. A few squirts of sunscreen on their ears, hats on their heads, and they were ready to set off. It was only a short walk from the campsite to the lake. Herdy unpacked the inflatable canoe and began pumping it up with the hoof pump while admiring the sparkling view across the water. Sheppy, however, was nowhere to be seen. “Probably off chasing something fluffy,” Herdy chuckled. A few minutes later he shouted, “Come on, Sheppy! We’re ready to go!” Sheppy came flying down the hill and screeched to a halt beside the water. “You sit in the front,” Herdy said. “I’ll sit in the back. And don’t forget your life vest!” Sheppy leapt into the canoe, pulled on his vest and grabbed a paddle. Herdy loaded the rucksack behind him and pushed the canoe into the lake before hopping in. “Woah!” cried Sheppy. “You nearly tipped us over!” “Sorry,” Herdy laughed. “I got a bit over enthusiastic!” Soon they were paddling perfectly in time, creating little ripples behind them as buzzards soared overhead. Everything was peaceful and calm. They were nearly halfway across the lake when — SPLASH! A huge fish leapt out of the water right in front of them. “Aaaaargh!” barked Sheppy. Startled, he jumped to his feet, rocking the canoe from side to side. Herdy grabbed the edge to steady himself. In all the wobbling and panicking, neither of them noticed their paddles slipping into the lake. “Crikey!” gasped Sheppy. “We nearly fell in!” “You’re right,” Herdy puffed. “That was far too close for comfort.” Once the canoe settled, Herdy reached beside him. “Uh oh,” he said slowly. “Where’s my paddle?” Sheppy looked around in alarm. “Mine’s gone too!” The two friends stared at each other. They were stuck in the middle of the deepest lake in England without any paddles. “What are we going to do?” Sheppy whimpered. Herdy thought carefully. “I always do my best thinking when eating cake,” he said wisely. He pulled out a blueberry muffin and began nibbling thoughtfully. “We can’t do this on our own,” Herdy decided. “Sometimes even the bravest sheep and dogs need a little help.” So Sheppy barked and Herdy baa-ed as loudly as they could. Again and again they called out across the water. At first, nobody came. Just as they were beginning to lose hope, they heard a loud splashing sound behind them. SPLOSH! SPLASH! SPLISH! A family of otters was swimming towards the canoe. The biggest otter popped his head above the water. “Well now,” he said. “What have we got going on here then?” Herdy explained all about the rocking canoe, the runaway paddles and being stranded in the middle of the lake. “We need our paddles to get back to shore,” said Herdy. “Can you help us?” “Of course we can!” squeaked the otters together. Without another word, they darted off in every direction, diving beneath the water and searching among the reeds. A few moments later, the smallest otter popped up with a squeak. “Found one!” Then another otter surfaced holding the second paddle triumphantly in his paws. The otters swam back to the canoe and handed over the paddles. “You saved us!” cried Sheppy. “That’s what friends are for,” smiled the biggest otter. “Thank ewe very much!” said Herdy gratefully. The otters grinned proudly before darting away again. “Hunting for paddles is hungry work!” one called back as they disappeared with a splash to chase a fish. Herdy picked up his paddle. “Well,” he said, “let’s not rock the boat on the way back.” This time they paddled slowly and carefully all the way to shore. When they finally arrived back at the campsite, Sheppy flopped onto the grass dramatically. “I’m starving!” In all the excitement, they had completely forgotten to eat their picnic. As the sun began to set, turning the lake golden and glittery, Herdy unpacked the snacks, poured himself a flask of tea and shared the muffins with Sheppy. “That really was quite an adventure,” Herdy said happily. Sheppy nodded. “And we would still be floating around out there if the otters hadn’t helped us.” Herdy smiled warmly. “Sometimes,” he said, “when things get wobbly, friends help keep you afloat.” “And tomorrow,” barked Sheppy, “we’re bringing the otters a giant fish feast to say thank you!” Now that,” laughed Herdy, “sounds otter-ly perfect.”  

(2 minute read) Herdy and Sheppy stood in their little allotment, nestled in a valley between the rolling Lake District hills. Herdy tugged proudly at a suspiciously brown-looking carrot.“Behold, Sheppy! My finest carrot crop yet.” Sheppy squinted. “That’s not a carrot.” “It is!” Herdy insisted. Sheppy barked excitedly. “It’s my stick, Herdy! I wondered where that had got to.” Herdy paused. “Ah. That explains why it didn’t taste very nice.” “Right,” Sheppy said, clapping his paws together. “What else have you grown?” “I’ve planted lettuces,” Herdy said, pointing to, what had been, a neat row of green leaves. At that very moment, a plump caterpillar popped its head up from one of the nibbled lettuces. “Morning!” it announced cheerfully, mid-chew. Herdy gasped. “Hey! Those are MY lettuces!” “Were your lettuces,” the caterpillar winked, taking another bite. Herdy crossed his arms, then softened. “Please don’t eat all my crop, Mr Caterpillar. I don’t mind sharing some of my harvest with you.” “Wonderful,” the caterpillar replied cheekily. “I’ll have the lettuces and you can have the memories!” A gentle buzzing filled the air as a group of honeybees drifted over from the nearby hive. “What seems to be the problem?” the head bee asked, hovering politely. “The caterpillar is eating my lettuces!” Herdy pointed towards the green offender. The bee peered over his tiny glasses. “Technically, you planted them… but they grew all on their own. Now nature is merely… sharing them.” Herdy sighed dramatically. “Fine. I shall grow something else. Something foolproof.” Sheppy tilted his head. “Like what?” Herdy grinned. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could grow CAKE?” They both burst into giggles. The very next morning, instead of rushing in with grand ideas, Herdy and Sheppy sat down to study their gardening book. They learned about soil, sunlight, and sharing space with tiny creatures. Then they planted new seeds — carrots, lettuces, and even some flowers for the bees. When the caterpillar returned, Herdy didn’t shout. “I’ve made you your very own patch,” he said, pointing to a leafy corner. “You can eat all you want there.” The caterpillar blinked. “Really?” “Really. But these are ours,” Herdy added, standing proudly by his new rows of vegetables. The caterpillar smiled. “Deal.” Weeks passed, and the garden flourished. The bees had their flowers, the caterpillar had his leafy feast, and Herdy and Sheppy finally had a harvest they could enjoy. One evening, as they munched on a tasty bunch of fresh carrots, Sheppy nudged Herdy. “We did a great job.” Herdy grinned. “Turns out, growing things takes a bit of patience… and a bit of sharing.” There was a sudden rustle from the leafy patch. Both of them turned. The caterpillar was back, only he wasn’t a caterpillar anymore. Something wiggled… something sparkled in the sunshine… A loud ‘POP!’ followed and out unfolded a pair of bright, beautiful wings. “Ta-da!” said the butterfly, swooping into the air in a swirl of colour. Herdy’s mouth fell open. “You can FLY now?!” “Of course,” the butterfly beamed, fluttering above their heads. “All that lettuce had to go somewhere!” Sheppy laughed. “That’s the most impressive thing we’ve grown yet, Herdy!” The butterfly did a grand twirl in the golden evening light. “And,” he added with a cheeky grin, “I still love lettuce!” They all burst out laughing as the sun dipped behind the fells, the garden buzzing, blooming, and fluttering all around them.

(3 minute read)   Spring had arrived in the Lake District. Daffodils swayed in the breeze, lambs leapt in the fields, and the fells glowed a cheerful green. Herdy stood tall on a small rock just outside the farmyard. “Today,” he announced grandly, “we embark on the greatest adventure of the season!” Sheppy trotted over, ears flopping. “What sort of adventure?” he asked enthusiastically. Herdy held up a brightly coloured leaflet he had found under the barn door. “The Great Lake District Easter Egg Hunt!” Sheppy’s eyes widened. “Whoever finds the Golden Egg wins the finest prize of all!” exclaimed Herdy. Sheppy barked excitedly. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get started!” Off they set along the winding path towards the hills, Herdy marching with purpose while Sheppy ran ahead… then ran back… then forgot why he had run ahead in the first place. Soon they reached the shores of Derwentwater. “First clue!” cried Herdy, spotting a small wooden sign. Sheppy read aloud: “Where the water sparkles and the ducks say quack,an egg lies hidden by a rock with a crack at the back.” They looked around. “There are rather a lot of rocks,” said Herdy. “No problem—we’ll just check them all!” said Sheppy, darting from rock to rock. Ten minutes later, they had checked twenty-seven rocks, one mossy tree stump, and a sleeping duck—who was not best pleased to be disturbed and muttered something that sounded very much like, “Off you quack!” “Found one!” shouted Herdy, holding up a chocolate egg wrapped in shiny foil. Sheppy wagged his tail (despite being allergic to chocolate and trying very hard not to lick it). “First one!” Herdy carefully placed the egg in his rucksack and declared, “Onward, brave explorers!” They followed the path to the next clue, high on a hill overlooking the lake. At the top, they found another clue tied to a fence. Sheppy read aloud: “Where the sheep like to rest and the grass grows deep,look beneath the wool of a friendly sheep.” Both slowly turned towards a nearby flock of rather serious-looking Texels. “Oh dear,” said Sheppy. “They don’t look very friendly to me.” Herdy trotted over. “Excuse me,” he said politely to a rather grumpy-looking ewe, “you wouldn’t happen to be hiding an egg, would you?” The ewe opened one eye… and refused to budge. Feeling miffed, Sheppy let out a fairly gruff bark. The sheep sprang to her hooves, revealing another brightly coloured egg. “There it is!” laughed Sheppy, scooping it up. “We’re rather good at this, aren’t we?” said Herdy. Clue after clue, they discovered hidden eggs until they reached the final clue, pinned to a gate overlooking the valley. Sheppy read aloud: “For the greatest prize, look where brave friends stand tall,the Golden Egg waits beside the wall.” Up and down the wall they ran until Herdy gasped. “There it is!” Nestled in the grass sat a magnificent golden egg, sparkling in the sunshine. They stared at it in silence. “We found it,” whispered Sheppy. “We certainly did,” said Herdy—doing a little victory dance before carefully placing it into his rucksack. Just as they turned to head home, a gust of wind whooshed across the fell. His rucksack tipped over.And all the eggs bounced down the steep grassy slope. “Oh crumbs!” cried Herdy. “The eggs are lost!” Sheppy sprang into action. “Don’t worry—I’ll round them up!” “I’ll help!” said Herdy. Together they raced after the tumbling eggs, scrambling and sliding to catch them before they fell into the stream below. One by one, they saved every single egg. “We did it!” Sheppy barked proudly, (though still very disappointed he could not eat any of them.) Herdy trotted over, beaming. “That was un-baa-lievable!” Sheppy wagged his tail so fast, spinning in circles, that he looked like a small furry helicopter. “I call that my advanced egg-herding technique,” he said, bowing proudly. They burst into laughter. Just as Herdy was placing the precious golden egg safely back in his rucksack… it fell to the ground. “Oh no, not again!” exclaimed Sheppy. CRACK! The egg split open. But instead of chocolate inside… a pile of delicious doggy biscuits tumbled onto the grass. Sheppy froze. He sniffed. “…Wait.” His eyes grew wide. “ARE THOSE DOG TREATS?!” “They are indeed!” laughed Herdy. Sheppy’s tail wagged so fast he nearly took off. “A Golden Egg full of biscuits! This is the best treasure ever!” “You earned it,” said Herdy. “You were baa-rilliant rounding up those runaway eggs.” “So were you,” said Sheppy, happily munching a biscuit. “We make a pretty great team.” “The best team,” agreed Herdy. Herdy wrapped up the empty golden shell, and together they trotted home, ready to share the chocolate eggs with their friends back on the farm. And as for the biscuits? Well… Sheppy decided those were best kept to himself… after all, they were sharing the chocolate!  

(2 minute read) Herdy had always believed he was born to roam free. Unfortunately, unlike most Herdwicks, he had also been born with very little sense of direction. “Today,” he declared, adjusting his tiny rucksack (which contained three emergency muffins, a flask of tea, and the map he was holding upside down), “we conquer the mighty fells of the Lake District!” Sheppy barked excitedly, though mostly at a passing crisp packet flying past in the breeze. They set off toward the rolling hills, aiming for a gentle hike near Catbells. Herdy insisted it was named after a rather tubby, very polite cat who rang a little bell before dinner. Sheppy didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. The path was rocky and surprisingly steep. “Are we nearly there?” panted Sheppy, who had already run twice the distance Herdy had walked. “We’re on the ridge of greatness!” Herdy replied, immediately stumbling over a rock the size of a chocolate cake. Even a sure-footed sheep can occasionally get caught out. “I meant to do that,” Herdy added quickly, his cheeks going pink. Sheppy didn’t believe him. Halfway up, they paused to admire the shimmering waters of Derwentwater. “Wow, look at that view!” barked Sheppy in wonder. “Yes,” said Herdy wisely. “It’s really baaa-utiful.” A passing hiker stopped and stared at the unlikely duo: one small, determined Herdwick with dramatic ambitions, and one slightly excitable sheepdog racing back and forth. Herdy waved cheerfully. “Don’t worry,” he called. “We know what we’re doing. We’ve got a lambmark route planned.” “You mean landmark,” whispered Sheppy. “That’s what I said. Lamb. Mark.” Further along, they encountered a sign pointing toward Scafell Pike. “Ooo,” said Herdy. “Let’s climb up there.” “That’s the highest mountain in England,” Sheppy replied proud of his knowledge. Herdy squinted at it through the rain. “It does look pretty steep though.” Then, out of nowhere, a sudden gust of wind knocked them sideways. “This weather is shear madness!” cried Sheppy, clinging to Herdy’s wool. “You said you’d checked the forecast!” “I did! Well… I looked outside,” murmured Herdy. “Mmmm,” said Sheppy, quietly contemplating a swift and heroic retreat. They huddled behind a rock to shelter from the wind and rain, sharing their emergency snacks — all three of which Herdy had already nibbled for “safety testing”. At last they reached a modest summit. It wasn’t the one they’d aimed for, but it was definitely a summit. At that very moment, a huge gust of wind blew up, strong enough to knock Herdy clean off his hooves. Looking rather windswept and slightly embarrassed, Herdy planted a small stick firmly in the ground. “I name this peak… Fleece Fell!” They both giggled. “I’m not sure it’s a fell though,” said Sheppy. “It looks more like a bump.” “Every mountain starts as a bump,” Herdy replied thoughtfully. “Then people stack rocks on it,” he added, faintly amused by the strange customs humans had. Herdy puffed out his chest proudly and proclaimed. “Today we have roamed free. We have climbed. And we have not been beaten by the elements!” Sheppy ran in circles and barked excitedly. “Same time next week?” Herdy grinned. “Absolutely. But next time… we bring four muffins.” And together the two bedraggled adventurers trotted home — slightly muddy, extremely proud, and already planning their next adventure.