It was after dark. I was sitting down to dinner in my tiny house. Toli the Dog was on guard duty outside, the barnyard had been put to bed, and as far as I was concerned, my day outside had come to a close.
But then I heard a turkey hen chirp. It wasn’t a red-flag alarm. She called out in singular chirps. “PIP!” ….. “PIP!” …… “PIP!”
Something she didn’t like was entering her vision. I sat and listened for more clues.
Toli was on duty, but she wasn’t barking, so it surely wasn’t a wild animal.
I heard a large, heavy animal thunder across the yard. Toli still remained silent. Curiouser and curiouser! Was another dog visiting, were they playing? Surely she would vocalize if a strange dog showed up.
It fell silent again, with nothing but this hen’s irritated chirp disturbing the quiet darkness. I waited for Toli to start barking, but she seemed content.
“Okay, this is just too wierd. What is going on out there?”
I walked out my front door and found Tisl the Goat staring at me, not far from my porch. She perked up and nickered softly at me. “Oh, hey, Jen! Fancy meeting you here!”
I rounded her up with an offering of rolled barley and led her back in the barn. I had left the gate just far enough ajar for her to squeeze through. Oops!
If not for that turkey hen’s cautionary cackle, Tisl would have spent the entire night as a Freedom Goat! Which wouldn’t be so bad except that it would simply be dangerous for her.
Read more about turkeys as protectors
