Summary
Chapter 51
Herriot describes his second winter since coming to the Dales. The snow makes it difficult for him to do his job, as roads are often blocked and he has to walk great distances through dangerous terrain to reach the farms. The Dalesman do not seem to think twice about it, and continue to live their lives.
In one example of the treacherous snow, Herriot goes out to a remote farm and has to walk the last part of the road, because it is not clear. The landscape is beautiful; however, when a blizzard hits, he can no longer see the farm, and he gets very lost in the snow. Finally, he reaches the farm and treats the sick calf. Meanwhile, the farmer thinks nothing of the snow, commenting, “It’s a plan sort o’ day” (327).
Chapter 52
Herriot and Siegfried get into an argument over a small misunderstanding. Siegfried isn’t listening when Herriot explains a case to him, which leads him to misunderstand Herriot’s diagnosis and treatment. He scolds Herriot for being a poor communicator, when, in reality, Siegfried wasn’t listening. Herriot becomes increasingly frustrated and starts to shout at Siegfried before leaving the room. Tristan overhears the argument and goes to speak to Herriot. Tristan thinks that he is frustrated because of the failed date with Helen and is taking this out on Siegfried. Tristan suggests that they go on a double date to dance with two women he knows, Connie and Brenda.
Chapter 53
Herriot visits Dick Rudd, a poor dairy farmer who is extremely generous. Herriot normally feels that there is a divide between the country folk and himself, but does not feel this way with Rudd: he is grateful for his friendship. Herriot describes the Rudd family as being a large family of seven children, with the youngest two being boys. Despite the fact that they are quite poor, Herriot notes that Mrs. Rudd is able to keep all the children fed, and they are all very healthy and hearty.
Rudd has a lot of cows, but most are not the most beautiful or high-quality cows. Rudd buys a new cow—a beautiful, high-pedigree dairy cow of a deep roan color—and names her Strawberry. One day, Rudd asks Herriot to come look at her. Herriot discovers that the cow has an abscess in her throat, which gets increasingly worse, and Herriot is unsure if he can help it. Mr. Rudd is accepting of the situation, and reassures Herriot he has done “everything anybody could do.”
Chapter 54
Herriot decides to drain the abscess in the cow’s throat surgically, even though it is a risky procedure. Herriot cannot even consult with Siegfried, because he is away at a conference. Surprisingly, the surgery is successful and the cow recovers. The Rudd family is overjoyed. The Rudds’ silver wedding anniversary is approaching, and they ask Herriot to be a guest at the celebration, which will include a hot meal and entertainment. He is honored and accepts the invitation.
Chapter 55
This chapter focuses on difficult customers who refuse or forget to pay. Herriot and Siegfried talk about customers who have never paid, such as Bert Mason, who owes the practice money but recently bought an expensive car. Siegfried jokes that, if he threw a cocktail party for clients, he’d invite all the debtors first because they are always the most charming. They also discuss a very interesting character: Major Bullivant. He has lived in Darrowby for years but has never paid anyone anything—neither the vet, nor the auto mechanic, nor the barbershop. Yet, Major Bullivant lives the life and plays the character of a very charming aristocrat. Eventually, he leaves town without paying any of his bills.
One day, Siegfried thinks up an elaborate plan to get one man, Dennis Pratt, to pay. Dennis is a charming man who is always laughing. Siegfried invites him over to discuss a medical issue that Dennis’ animals are having. The catch is that he's invited on the day when all the farmers come to pay their bills. Dennis watches as all the farmers pay, but he never once makes a move to pay. In fact, he convinces both Herriot and Siegfried to give him extra remedies to take home with him, without paying.
Chapter 56
The local butcher is another non-payer. The butcher expects the vets to come immediately, and gets impatient if he is forced to wait. Siegfried puts pressure on the butcher to pay his bill on time, but he still does not pay, and instead becomes resentful towards the vets. Whenever he sees them, he glares at them.
One late night, the butcher calls on Herriot to deliver twin calves, which he does successfully. The butcher doesn’t pay him, but offers him sausages. To make a point, Herriot decides to test the man by asking how much the sausages would cost. Surprisingly, instead of repeating the offer of the gift of sausages, the butcher names a price and takes his money.
Chapter 57
Herriot and Tristan go on a double date with Connie and Brenda, two nurses. Tristan has been seeing Brenda, and Herriot’s date for the night is Connie. Even though Connie is attractive, Herriot can’t stop thinking about Helen. For the first part of the date, they all go to a pub where they drink a lot. Later, they go to a local dance, and Herriot and Connie dance for a while, having fun. However, eventually, the alcohol hits them and they both feel dizzy and terrible. They try to leave the dance but just end up tripping and getting dirty. Instead, the two of them lean against a wall and watch the other people dance. At that moment, Helen comes into the dance with a date and greets Herriot. He is mortified to see her because he and Connie are quite drunk.
Chapter 58
Herriot recalls stories about interesting farmers he met. In one story, Herriot stops at a farm just after a snowstorm. He is surprised to find that their head dog, Tip, is sleeping outside the farmer’s door, completely covered in snow. The farmer tells Herriot that even though the dog is fifteen years old, he has never once slept inside, and prefers to sleep outside.
Herriot also loves to recall funny phrases that he has heard people say. For example, one farmer, Luke Benson, is extremely hostile and does not get along with anyone he meets. He spends hours complaining to Herriot about all the people he dislikes, especially his neighbor, Mr. Gill; Luke seems to delight whenever Mr. Gill experiences misfortune. However, one day, Mrs. Gill runs off with another man. Herriot goes to Luke’s home expecting to find him gloating, but instead, he finds Luke is angry, saying, ““Ah wish somebody would tek MA bugger!” (375.) Luke, it turns out, wishes someone would take his wife away.
In another story, Herriot recalls the Bramley’s, a family of three brothers and one sister that owns a farm in a valley and has little contact with the outside world. However, he is warmed by their level of concern for their cats: they are devastated when all of the cats start to die of an infectious disease. Herriot, thinking quickly, is able to vaccinate some of the prized kittens. Later, he receives a note from Miss Bramley stating, “Dere Sir, Them kittens is now big cats. Yrs trly, R. Bramley.” He appreciates the note for its simplicity.
Chapter 59
Herriot meets gypsies who have a seriously ill pony. Herriot has been warned by Siegfried that gypsies cannot always be trusted: they will often not pay, and then disappear. However, these gypsies defy Herriot’s expectations: they are polite and immediately offer him money. Herriot is charmed by the gypsies, whose three little girls seem to care deeply for their sick pony. Herriot is concerned the pony won’t recover well because he has a severe infection in his hoofs. Thus, he asks Siegfried to help him. Siegfried comes out and chooses to use a very dubious and unscientific method of curing the pony: he bleeds it. After the bleeding, the pony seems to feel better, and Siegfried spends time instructing the little girls on how to help care for the pony in his recovery. Days later, the gypsies leave, and Herriot sees the pony has made a good recovery.
Chapter 60
Helen brings her dog into the practice and specifically asks for Herriot. Helen and Herriot work together to fix the dog’s dislocated hip. When Helen is about to leave, Herriot encounters Miss Hall in the hallway with two cups of tea, and she asks if Herriot would like to invite Helen to tea. Herriot thinks this is strange, and decides it is probably a plan devised by Tristan. Regardless, he and Helen drink tea and talk for a while. Later that day, Herriot calls Helen to ask if the dog is all right. She says the dog is fine and Herriot asks her out again, this time to the movies. Helen says she would love to go out, and they make arrangements for the coming Friday night. Herriot is optimistic and feels that he is “back in business.”
Analysis
By now, there is a clear progression in Herriot’s attitude from the beginning of the novel. It is now a year since he has arrived in Darrowby, and he has clearly adapted to its unique lifestyle and climate. This is evident by his new attitude towards winter, as seen in the line, “This was my second winter in Darrowby so I didn’t feel the same sense of shock when it started to really rough down in November” (323). This parallels the laid-back attitude of the townspeople, who clear away the snow “without fuss, with the calm of long use and in the knowledge that they would probably have to do it again tomorrow” (323). Thus, Herriot becomes like one of the townspeople: just as he has accepted the Darrowby climate, the people there have truly accepted him.
Despite this, the snow still proves problematic for Herriot. Snow is a motif that conveys the struggles, hardships, and challenges that Herriot faces. This can be seen in Chapter 51, when Herriot goes to a distant farm. The snow is so heavy that roads are blocked, so he has to walk through freezing snow. A blizzard comes, causing him to completely lose his bearings. He wanders around, loathing the “eerie sense of isolation” (326), before finally finding the farm. This illustrates that, although Herriot is now more experienced, there will always be unexpected situations that cause him to struggle.
On the other hand, the Dalesman and their animals are resilient and hearty. In Chapter 58, Herriot meets a dog, Tip, sleeping outside the farmer’s door, completely covered in snow. Herriot, appalled, asks if the dog always sleeps there, to which the farmer replies, “Aye, allus. Summer and winter… it’s his own choice… tried all ways to get t’awd feller to sleep inside but it was no good” (371). This dog is more than just the symbol for companionship, as many dogs are in the story: this dog serves as a symbol for the harsh life of the Dales, and for the resilience that allows the people of the Dales to survive and thrive.
Dick Rudd is another key example of the resilience of the Dalesmen. Herriot admires their resilience, “Dick Rudd...seemed to embody the best qualities of the Dalesman; the indestructibility, the tough philosophy, the unthinking generosity and hospitality” (334). Herriot feels especially connected with the Rudd family, because they deeply respect him as a professional and also treat him as a friend. Herriot’s relationship with the Rudds is an illustration of the theme of human relationships, and how they are just as important to Herriot as connections with animals. The story about the Rudds also illustrates the theme of hardship/adversity they have to deal with, when their most valuable cow gets an almost fatal abscess. This episode forces Herriot to recognize how important of human relationships are to him, as he talks out loud to himself in frustration, “I pointed out the injustice of a situation where kindly people like the Rudds, in dire need of skilled veterinary assistance, had called on Mr. Herriot who had responded by falling flat on his face. I drew attention to the fact that the Rudds, instead of hounding me off the place as I deserved, had thanked me sincerely” (342). In the end, Herriot succeeds at saving the cow, but he receives more than just professional satisfaction. Proof of Herriot’s connection to the Rudds comes when he is invited to silver anniversary party, which will have the Rudds’ version of leisure/culture: “We’re having a ‘ot dinner and entertainers”(345).
The theme of human relationships is further developed on the romantic front when Herriot reunites with Helen in Chapter 60. Helen brings the family’s dog to Herriot; as dogs are a symbol for warmth, companionship, and domesticity, having the dog in this scene foreshadows the continued romantic connection and marriage between Herriot and Helen. Herriot ends the chapter optimistic once again about their relationship.
