Time for Children

Time for Children

Time for Children
The Bull, the Tup, the Cock, and the Steg

England

A bull, a tup [ram], a cock, and a steg [gander] set out together to seek their fortune. When it got to night, they came to a house, and asked for a night's lodging, but the folks said no. However, at last they were let come into the kitchen. The bull said he would lie on the floor, the tup said he would lie by his side, the cock would perch on the rannel bank, and the steg would stand at t' back of the door.

At midnight, when all was quiet, two men, meaning to rob the house, were heard parleying outside which should go in, and which watch outside. One went in, the bull got up and knocked him about, the tup did the same, and the cock said, "Fetch him here, I'll pick out his eyen."

So he says, "I'd best be out of this."

As he went to the door, the steg took him by the nose with its neb, and beat him with its wings.

The other said when he got out, "What have you done?"

"Done!" says he, "The devil knocked me about; when he'd done, one of his imps set on. A thin wi' glowering eyen said, 'Fetch him here,' etc. and when I got to the door, a blacksmith took me by the snout with his tongs, and flapped me by the lugs with his leather apron."
...

The Bull, the Tup, the Cock, and the Steg (England)
Folk-Lore, vol. 20 (1909).
Collected in Gainford, County Durham, by Alice Ecleston, 1893 or earlier.

Time for Children

Mountain goats are renowned climbers, but sometimes what they can achieve
on nearly vertical terrain seems impossible–and all to satisfy their salt fix.

Mountain Goat

7 Times Princess Charlotte Proved She's Definitely a Mama's Girl

Shortly after Princess Charlotte made her grand entrance into the world in May 2015, it became obvious that she looks so much like her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. But as she's gotten older and made more and more public outings, we've gotten to see just how much she takes after her mom, Kate Middleton. Not only do the two immediately become the center of attention whenever they walk into a room, but their personalities and quirky facial expressions are perfectly in sync. From their goofy reactions to their judgmental stares, Kate and Charlotte are two peas in a royal pod. ...

Woman turns old dressers into cozy personalized dog beds

Kaylee Robertson, an emergency medical technician from Shetland, Scotland, makes custom, personalized dog beds out of old dressers.

She said she likes to “provide pets with their own little ‘safe haven’ that they can sleep happy in.”
“Let’s be honest, your typical dog bed is pretty ugly!” Robertson, 27, wrote to ABC News in an email. “They're normally these limp, dull, lifeless, smelly things that just lie in the corner. My hope is that by providing a bed which is also a piece of furniture, the dog is introduced more into the living area.”

She said her Sheltie shacks have also proven great for more nervous pets who feel more secure in the cave-like bed.

Robertson said she makes only about 30 a year because she likes doing “quality” work and doesn’t want to “shove something shoddy together.”

“Every bed is completely deconstructed, sanded down and re-backed,” she explained. “I also put on several coats of high-quality base coat before even thinking about the top coat. This should be something that lasts, and more importantly, a piece that people are happy to display as the centerpiece of the room.”

An owner of seven dogs and two cats herself, Robertson said she has made the beds primarily for dogs, but they can be used for all pets.

“I've had an order for a bunny in the past!,” she wrote. “I'm limited to the size of the shack depending on the cabinet I convert from but, honestly, I've pretty much provided for every shape of pup so far from Chihuahuas to pugs to border collies! Although, I haven’t yet managed one for a St. Bernard. That’s my dream!”

Every single shack is “bespoke,” she explained, so when it’s purchased, Robertson said she contacts the owner to find out exactly how they want to personalize it -- from the paint color and wallpaper inside right down to the knobs.
“It’s great fun and I absolutely love seeing what people come up with!,” she said.

As an emergency medical technician, Robertson said making the beds are therapeutic for her after “some pretty horrific days.”

“Having some time to clear my head with a hammer or a paintbrush has been great,” she told ABC News.

Although Robertson lives on a small island off the coast of Scotland, she said she’s willing to ship anywhere in the world.

She also said she donates all of her proceeds to charity.

“Most people don’t realize that this is a charity project,” she said. “I don’t make anything from this. In fact I actually take a loss because I don’t take money out for the materials. I’m constantly asked, ‘Why don’t you just take the money for yourself?’ and it makes me sad.

“Yeah sure, I'm not driving around in a Ferrari and I don’t have my own private jet, but we're OK,” she added. “We have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge and a comfortable bed to lie in, and that does us fine! My gain is in the thought that when I press that "donate" button on our charities' websites, that some wee soul will be given the lifesaving treatment they need to get better. No amount of money in my back pocket can beat that feeling.”

Ingredients
Vegetarian
∙ Makes 1 sandwich, easily doubles, triples, etc
Produce

    1 Avocado
    1 Heirloom tomato

Baking & Spices

    1 Salt and pepper

Bread & Baked Goods

    2 slices Sourdough bread

Dairy

    1 1/2 tbsp Butter, salted
    4 oz Gruyere cheese

Time for Children

Why Tea Is So Very Magical