The bull slowly lifted his head, let out a tired sigh, looked the neighbor straight in the eyes, and said, āBuddy⦠Iām trying not to make eye contact with anyone.ā
The neighbor blinked in disbelief.
āWhat?ā
āIf I stand up,ā the bull groaned, āsomeoneās going to think Iām ready for another appointment.ā
The neighbor burst out laughing so hard he nearly fell over the fence.
āYou mean the farmer wasnāt exaggerating?ā
āOh, he wasnāt exaggerating,ā the bull replied. āIf anything, he left out the worst part.ā
āThe worst part?ā
The bull nodded wearily.
āMonday was six farms. Tuesday was seven. Yesterday they brought me to a county fair because someone heard I was āthe miracle bull.ā I havenāt had a proper nap in weeks.ā
Just then, the farmer walked into the pasture with a rope in one hand and a clipboard in the other.
āThere you are, champ!ā he called cheerfully. āTime for the Johnson farm. Theyāve got twelve cows waiting.ā
The bull slowly closed his eyes.
āI think Iām suddenly invisible.ā
The farmer tugged gently on the rope.
āCome on, buddy. One more trip.ā
The bull didnāt move.
The farmer pulled harder.
Still nothing.
Finally, the bull opened one eye and muttered, āTell them Iām retired.ā
The farmer laughed.
āRetired? Youāre only five years old!ā
āI may be five,ā the bull replied, ābut I feel ninety-five.ā
The neighbor couldnāt stop chuckling.
āIāve never seen a bull this exhausted.ā
āYou wouldnāt be either,ā the bull answered. āEverywhere I go, people stare at me like Iām some kind of celebrity. No one asks howĀ IāmĀ doing.ā
For the first time, the farmer paused.
He looked at the tired animal lying in the grass, his sides rising and falling with every slow breath.
āYou knowā¦ā the farmer admitted, scratching his head, āI guess I have been working you pretty hard.ā
The bull didnāt answer.
He had already fallen asleep.
The farmer smiled.
āAll right, old friend. The Johnsons can wait.ā
He picked up his phone and began making calls.
āSorry, folks,ā he said. āAppointments are canceled for today. My star employee is taking a well-earned vacation.ā
The news spread across the county in no time.
Some farmers grumbled.
Others laughed.
One even joked, āThe hardest-working bull in the county finally joined the union!ā
For the next week, the famous bull did absolutely nothing.
He napped beneath the biggest oak tree.
He wandered through the pasture whenever he felt like it.
He rolled in the mud.
He watched butterflies drift across the field.
Most importantly, nobody bothered him.
A week later, he stood up on his own, stretched, and let out the loudest, happiest moo anyone had ever heard.
The neighbor smiled.
āFeeling better?ā
The bull grinned.
āMuch better.ā
The farmer walked over.
āReady to get back to work?ā
The bull looked at him seriously.
āOnly if we agree on one thing.ā
āWhatās that?ā
āOne day off every week.ā
The farmer laughed.
āDeal.ā
From then on, the famous bull was still the most sought-after in the countyābut he also became the happiest.
And whenever anyone asked why his bull always seemed so energetic, the farmer simply smiled and said,
āEven legends need a day off.ā
