In the story of "Peter Bull," a man and his wife have a farm but no children. They want to have an heir to leave their wealth to. They have a beautiful and wise bull-calf named Peter whom they are very find of, and they wonder if the parish clerk can Peter to speak so Peter can become their heir. They ask the clerk, and he says he can do it, but they cannot tell anyone. He says it is forbidden, and it will be very expensive. The man gives the clerk a hundred dollars to pay for books. After a week, the clerk says he needs another hundred dollars for more books. In another week, the clerk says Peter has learned to say "moo," but he needs more money for more books if they want Peter to learn more.
The man gives the clerk three hundred dollars for books and ale for Peter. The clerk drinks the ale and gives Peter milk. After several weeks, the man starts to become uncomfortable about how much money he is spending. The clerk decides Peter is as fat as he will be and kills him. He goes to the farm and asks the man if Peter has returned, and the man says he has not. The clerk says Peter has had a difficult time learning, and he hopes Peter has not run off after the time and money he put into his learning.
The man and his wife are upset Peter has run off and left them with no heir. The clerk later happens to see in the newspaper that there is a merchant named Peter Bull who recently moved to a town a ways away. He shows the newspaper to the man and his wife and asks if it could be their Peter. The man goes to the town with money, a pipe, and a sandwich, believing this merchant is his Peter. It takes him several days to reach the town.
He finds the merchant's home, and goes up to the merchant's room, saying he is his father. The merchant thinks it is his bull Peter because the man has a broad forehead, thick neck, and red hair, but now looks like a human. The man tells the merchant that he and his wife have been worried about him, especially after spending all that money on his education. The merchant thinks he is a lunatic and tries to remain calm. The man asks the merchant to return home, and he replies that he cannot because he has business there. The man tells Peter that he can have the farm at once and asks if there is anything he wants. Peter says he wants money more than anything. The man gives Peter the money he brought and stays a few more days.
The man asks Peter to start calling him "father." Peter says he has no living mother or father. The man replies that he knows; his father was sold at Hamberg and his mother died while calving, so Peter is now his heir. Peter returns home with the man, and the man's wife is delighted. She tells her husband to go thank the clerk and pay him for the extra books. The man gives the clerk two hundred dollars, sells the farm, and moves to Peter Bull's town. They gave him their wealth and lived with him until they died.
Story source: The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1897)
The man gives the clerk three hundred dollars for books and ale for Peter. The clerk drinks the ale and gives Peter milk. After several weeks, the man starts to become uncomfortable about how much money he is spending. The clerk decides Peter is as fat as he will be and kills him. He goes to the farm and asks the man if Peter has returned, and the man says he has not. The clerk says Peter has had a difficult time learning, and he hopes Peter has not run off after the time and money he put into his learning.
The man and his wife are upset Peter has run off and left them with no heir. The clerk later happens to see in the newspaper that there is a merchant named Peter Bull who recently moved to a town a ways away. He shows the newspaper to the man and his wife and asks if it could be their Peter. The man goes to the town with money, a pipe, and a sandwich, believing this merchant is his Peter. It takes him several days to reach the town.
He finds the merchant's home, and goes up to the merchant's room, saying he is his father. The merchant thinks it is his bull Peter because the man has a broad forehead, thick neck, and red hair, but now looks like a human. The man tells the merchant that he and his wife have been worried about him, especially after spending all that money on his education. The merchant thinks he is a lunatic and tries to remain calm. The man asks the merchant to return home, and he replies that he cannot because he has business there. The man tells Peter that he can have the farm at once and asks if there is anything he wants. Peter says he wants money more than anything. The man gives Peter the money he brought and stays a few more days.
The man asks Peter to start calling him "father." Peter says he has no living mother or father. The man replies that he knows; his father was sold at Hamberg and his mother died while calving, so Peter is now his heir. Peter returns home with the man, and the man's wife is delighted. She tells her husband to go thank the clerk and pay him for the extra books. The man gives the clerk two hundred dollars, sells the farm, and moves to Peter Bull's town. They gave him their wealth and lived with him until they died.
Bull Calf by Adrian S Pye
Story source: The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1897)
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