Chad Gadya!
Sharon September 15th, 2009
There’s a classic Jewish folksong, sung at Passover that has the title of this essay as its refrain – it all began “with one goat kid.” And so it was here today – in many ways the beginning of our return to life as a full scale farm began with the birth of chad gadya.
Selene actually bore twins, a beautiful spotted buckling preceeding our new doeling, but the buck was born dead. I don’t know if I could have saved him by intervening sooner, but dead he was, no matter how his mother licked him or how I rubbed him and tried to clear his mouth and nose so that he could breathe.
Selene was huge, vast and wide, and I’d wondered if she’d bear triplets from her size, but at the moment I realized that the buckling was not going to wake, all I cared about was that there be another baby, so that all her hard labor not be for nothing.
And so it was – out slid a dark brown kid with a white stripe across her back. Shaking her tiny brown head and sneezing, she was up and moving within minutes, nursing shortly after, the picture of life and health. And we were the richer by chad gadya.
I’m sorry for the loss of the buckling, but that is the way of farms – things are born and things die, sometimes both at once, and as heartrending as it is, it is part of the great delight of a whole life. I told my boys, grieved at the death of the buck, that they were fortunate, even when it was hard, because they got to know more about life – and about death – than most kids their age. Better to touch life, even when it is shot through with death.
A nigerian dwarf goat kid is about the size of an 8 week old kitten – she weighs 2 lbs and fits comfortably in one hand, a perfect, tiny little creature full of life and energy. Born 3 days before the new year begins, we’ve named her “Tekiah Gedolah” which is the final blast that the Shofar (ritual horn) blows, a long, unbroken blast that ends the holiday, the literal call that awakens the world to the start of new and promising things. And she is very much that, our one kid goat.
Sharon
- goats
- Comments(13)
That’s so beautiful, Sharon! Will you post a picture?
Aaaah, a new life for the new year, and, at the same time, the passing of another one.
All part of the circle, as you say so much more beautifully than I ever could.
Blessings on the new goatling!
I was so sorry to hear about your Zucchini, my sympathies for losing him.
But you are starting a new year with a new life, your little goat. She sounds so cute!
Congratulations!
I’m a few days early but I wish you and your household and Very happy New year!
Peace to All,
shamba
My friend who I tried to hook on your blog, but who wouldn’t read any more after his first post was Goat Nookie, asked me this am if “the goat sex lady had her kids yet.”
Glad one came into the world alive and well.
Mmm. Good day.
Mazel tov, Sharon, and my condolences. And l’shanah tovah.
Mazel Tov Sharon!! I love the name!
Shanna Tova to you and your family!!
So sorry about the buckling….but the doe sounds lovely.
Sharon, those were wonderful words of wisdom you gave your children–about their good fortune to experience life and death so immediately. I have you on my new blogroll now and can see whenever you put up a new post. It’s going to be good to keep track of your renewed commitment to farming. Best wishes–
Pamela
Ah, I am sorry, for your losses, of cat and kid. Congratulations on the new baby.
May you be inscribed in the good book. L’shana Tova Sharon. Blessed Be the circle of Life and Death. May all good things continue the in the wheel.
Sara aka Rivkah Dara
May you be inscribed in the good book. L’shana Tova Sharon. Blessed Be the circle of Life and Death. May all good things continue in the wheel.
Sara aka Rivkah Dara
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