Shep's Hobby - Four Levels and Question Answers | James Herriot | Mero Solution

                   SHEP'S HOBBY
                               - James Herriot (1916-1995)

                Shep'Hobby Four Level 

1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION :
This is an interesting story about Herriot's acquaintance with a farmer's dog named Shep which had a strange hobby. Shep belonged to Mr. Bailes, a farmer. Shep was a huge dog much larger than average collie it was a part of Alsatian . it was with luxuriant black and white coat with massive limbs, and noble brown shaded head with upstanding ears. Being a veterinary surgeon, the narrator often used to get called by Mr.Bailes to check up his cows. Once his cow named Rose was sick. she was suffering from some kind of of obscure ailment. it was really hard to diagnose the cow's disease .
In his second visit Herriot was walking in between the walls, thinking about the cow with the hope of Seeing her improved, all of a sudden, Shep jumped up and bark into Herriot's unsuspecting ears loudly. he jumped into the air in terror and looked over the wall but the dog had already disappeared. Herriot could not understand whether the dog really meant to harm him or it was just his game. that day he left the farmer's house after giving medicine to Rose. next day, Mrs.Bailes  informed Herriot that Rose was worse. he became upset thinking that it would be a great lost to poor farmer Mr.Bailes  if the cow died. He hurriedly headed towards the barn across the meadow where Mr.Bailes was mending the door. As he was approaching  the barn, he was frightened by a blast of noise produced by shep  that had been lying hidden on the grass. Herriot almost screened and his whole body trembled but shep ran towards the gate. he gave extra dose of medicine to the cow and went home.
In his next visit, Rose was fine. Herriot thought that his extra dose had worked but to his surprised, Mr. Bailes is reviled that Rose was cured by Jim Oakely , a postman who had given the cow a good gallop around the field. Herriot felt disappointed and kept on screeching the cow's tail. he went to Mr.Bailes' house to wash his hands. there, he saw the shep in the kennel sleeping quietly . Herriot expressed his prostration to shep  by dragging him by the chain and shouting at him . He warned the dog not to frightened him next time. Shep stood with frightened eyes at that moment, Herriot knew that the dog was not ferocious at all . His explosive attacks  were just a game, a part of his enjoyment and hobby.
when Herriot was invited after a month to have a look at Mr.Bailes' another cow , shep did not bark at him. for a moment he felt happy thinking that he had got victory the dog but instantly he felt guilty for depriving the dog's hobby which was his main source of pleasure.
One day, Herriot was driving through the village, he paused  outside Mr. Bailes' farm hoping to see the dog. He saw a Tinker moving towards the farmer's house between the walls with armful of pots and pans. Shep leaped into a wall and gave a tremendous woof into thinker's ear. Herriot enjoyed the view of flying pots and pans with metallic clatter. As tinker ran away throwing pots. Herriot felt happy that shep had not left his hobby. he was still having fun by frightening people.
2.INTERPRETATION :
The story may be implying that animals ,like human beings have hobbies to entertain themselves Here, shep Gets immense pleasure by barking at people at the highest point . we should be careful not to destroy animals' unique personality. another possible interpretation that animals are also sensible and can understand human sentiments. we can also infer that sometimes practical knowledge is more applicable than bookish knowledge.
3.CRITICAL THINKING :
This informative story tells us that pleasure and entertainment are not limited to human beings. Yet we can disagree with the content in some extinct.Do dogs bark to tease human beings or to make them frightened? Do dogs really understand our sentiments? How could Mr.Bailes trust on narrator again who was unable to cure his cow? Besides these it is a fine animal story.
4.ASSIMILATION :
After reading this story , I came to know that Dogs have also hobbies like human beings.They also understand our sentiments.Before reading this story , I used to think that a dog hasn't thinking ability like human beings.I used to beat the dogs.But after reading this story I realized that I have done big mistake.And I decide from now not to do this type of activities with the dogs.I will try to make good relation with the dogs.
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QUESTION ANSWER : 

Q.1. How did shep react when Herriot dragged him and said "You big bugger" ?

ANSWER: When Herriot dragged him and said "You big bugger",Shep rolled with frightened eyes at Herriot and his tail flickered apologetically between his legs .When he continued to scream at him he bared his upper teeth in an ingratiating grin and finally rolled on his back where he lay inert with half-closed eyes.