Friday, January 30, 2009

Quake Detector

The farmer was waked up this morning by a very polite little earthquake that rattled the pocket doors in the farmhouse and then went away.

That felt like an earthquake, the farmer thought, but since the dogs weren’t barking, the farmer went back to sleep.

That is one useful thing about dogs, possibly the only useful thing. If there is a big earthquake coming they will start barking and barking about thirty seconds before it hits. They will really bark, like they are going crazy, worse even than if the FedEx truck and the UPS truck came at the same time.

What they are saying is, “RUN OUTSIDE! RUN OUTSIDE!”

During the last big earthquake the farmer was on the phone when the dogs started barking in the most deafening manner imaginable. The farmer put one hand over the phone and yelled at the dogs.

“Be QUIET!” the farmer yelled, but the dogs wouldn’t stop. Then the earthquake hit.

“EARTHQUAKE!” the farmer yelled, pointlessly, since the dogs already knew about it.

The books were jumping off their shelves. The brickwork in the living room toppled with a crash. Outside the window, the whole world was swaying. The horses galloped crazily around their pasture, screaming.

“RUN OUTSIDE!” the farmer yelled, and ran for the door.

Duh, thought the dogs, and ran outside with the farmer.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Wow! You guys had a little earthquake out there? We didn't feel a thing here...our little wiener dogs didn't make a peep either, which is unusual because all they seem to do, is bark! Of course I was probably having breakfast or waiting for it and couldn't be bothered with such minor things!

Marigold said...

We felt the earthquake. It rattled the double doors to the bedroom. The goatmother thought it was just the cat trying to get in. The dogs didn't bark, but an owl was hooting right outside the window just before it hit. This would lead one to believe that owls are actually smarter than dogs.

goatfarmer said...

But Marigold how do you know it wasn't a dog disguising its voice to sound like an owl???? HMMMM???

goatgirl said...

I felt the polite earthquake here.....and the dogs barked.