Katie Morag and the Sick Sheep Katie Morag

# Katie Morag

# Run away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay

# Katie Morag

# Run away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay. #

'My name is Katie Morag McColl and I live on the island of Struay.

'I suppose it's quite wee but it's ginormous to me

'and everyone looks out for me

'when I'm out and about having my adventures.'

This is where I live with my family.

My mum and dad run the shop and post office.

This is the bedroom I share with my brother Liam.

My mum says it's an absolute midden.

This is the croft where Grannie Island lives,

with her animals and hens.

This is the village where Neilly Beag lives.

Hello!

And I think it's the best place in the whole entire world,

and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

# Katie Morag. #

All the seasons are beautiful here on Struay.

And every one of them is somebody's favourite!

Mum loves the summer,

and the feeling of the sun on her face. Some of the time anyway!

Grannie Island likes the winter

cos she can cosy-up by the fire with a good book.

Though she never gets past the first chapter!

And Liam can't wait for autumn, cos that's Halloween,

and he loves scaring people. Especially Dad!

But my favourite season is the spring,

cos that's when all the baby lambs are born.

I love all the animals here on Struay,

but baby lambs are absolutely, definitely the cutest!

Hello.

Katie Morag! What a nice surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you.

Mum said you had something to show me.

Really? I can't think what.

Unless it's this. Come on!

Down there. On you go.

Alecina's new lamb! She's beautiful!

SHEEP BLEATS

Right, in you go. Sit yourself down on that bale.

She's so tiny.

-Would you like to feed her?

-Yeah.

Shouldn't Alecina be feeding her?

She should, aye. But she's a wee bit poorly.

What's wrong with her?

Well, Alecina's a fair age to be lambing.

I think it just took it out of her.

Is she just having a wee rest?

Grannie Island?

Aye. Now watch what you're doing.

Oh, my goodness! I've never seen her like this before.

Aye. It's not like her.

Poor Alecina.

Will she get better soon?

It's hard to say.

She will get better though...

Animals can't live forever, Katie Morag.

This might just be her time.

'Grannie Island was always reminding me that farm animals weren't pets.

'They were there to do a job, and we shouldn't get too fond of them.

'But I'd known Alecina my entire life.

'She was almost a member of the family!'

Isn't there something we can do?!

Well, I called the vet on Tiree.

He's sending some medicine over on the boat this morning.

Neilly Beag will be picking it up.

-I'll go and get it!

-Katie Morag!

The vet...

..he didn't sound too hopeful.

Alecina's the toughest sheep on Struay.

He just doesn't know her like we do!

I cycled all the way to Neilly Beag's and all the way back,

without even stopping to catch my breath.

SHE SINGS SOFTLY

KATIE MORAG CLEARS THROAT

Oh, you're back!

I was just...checking on her.

-I got the medicine.

-Oh, good girl!

Right, let's have a wee look.

OK.

Right, that seems straightforward enough.

Now, you hold the bottle.

Thank you, hold it tight now.

That's it.

Right, now...

You love her too, don't you?

She's not a pet, Katie Morag.

But you do, don't you?!

Hush now. I'm trying to concentrate.

There.

Right.

All we can do now is wait.

-Grannie Island?

-Uh-huh?

What happens when animals die?

What do you mean?

Well, people have funerals.

Like old Mrs Eckersley, and the ladies came over

from the bowling club in Oban and we planted a tree.

But what do animals have when they die?

Well, it depends.

If it's a family pet, you might put it in a nice wee box

and say a few words.

If it's a farm animal, not so much.

Probably just bury it.

That's sad.

Like I said, you shouldn't...

You shouldn't get too fond of them! I know!

But it's still sad.

Right, you follow me.

-Where?

-I want to show you something.

See all these pebbles and shells?

Have you ever wondered why I put them there?

Cos they're pretty?

Oh, they are. But that's not the real reason.

You see, when one of my animals dies,

I find a nice pebble or a shell and I put it on the cairn.

That way, whenever I pass it, I remember them.

You do?

I do.

See that big white one there, that was Alecina's grandmother.

A ewe by the name of Matilda.

Oh, she was a fine old beast. Oh, but what a temper she had on her!

And that brown one there...

scraggy wee goat by the name of Benjamin.

Well, he died when you were a baby.

That goat was smarter than most humans!

I do believe he understood English.

Though he never quite got the hang of speaking it!

What about that one?

A goldfish.

You had a goldfish?

It was your mother's.

What was his name?

Jaws.

What was he like?

He was a goldfish! Not much to say in the personality department.

But he always seemed very fond of Grandad Island.

He used to swim over and say hello whenever he walked in.

You know what you are?

What am I?

A big softie.

I am not!

-You are! A big softie!

-I am no such thing!

And don't you go breathing a word of it to anyone.

I'd never live it down!

I couldn't get to sleep that night, no matter how hard I tried!

I even tried counting sheep, but that just made me

think of Alecina and I'd get all worried again!

Hi, Dad.

What are you doing still awake?

I'm thinking about Alecina.

Why do animals have to die?

It's just the way the world works.

They're born, they grow up, they grow old, and then they die.

But it's so sad!

Aye. It is.

It's not a very good system.

Let me show you something.

You know who that is?

Your dad. Grandpa Mainland.

That's right.

Now what was he like?

He was funny!

What makes you say that?

What was that poem he used to sing?

Remind me.

On yonder hill there stands a coo

It's gone away, it's not there noo

The farmer kept it in a dookit

Now that's gone too cos someone took it!

Yeah, he was funny.

How did you know that? He died before you were born.

Cos you and Grandma always talk about him.

That's right.

We still remember him and talk about him.

And we still love him. So even though he's gone,

in a funny kind of way, it's as if he's still here.

And that's the same with everyone we love.

So long as we think about them and remember them.

I will always remember Alecina, no matter what.

'The next day I got up bright and early

'and ran straight round to see how Alecina was doing.'

Alecina?

THUNDER RUMBLES

Grannie Island!

Katie Morag. What on earth's wrong?!

I don't want Alecina to be dead.

I know she's still with us and we love her and remember her,

but I still don't want her to be dead.

Well, that's lucky then...

SHEEP BLEATS

Alecina! I thought you were gone!

Her? Och, she'll outlive us all!

In fact, I think she faked it, just to get a wee rest!

And I don't blame her. Wee ones can be hard work!

What was the shell for then?

This?! Oh, it's the goldfish!

I thought the shell was looking a wee bit manky.

So I decide to give it a good scrub!

You really are a big softie.

I know Alecina won't be with us forever,

but I'm so glad she's with us now. And one day, when she is gone,

I'll put a beautiful white stone on the cairn to remember her by.

Cos it's just like Dad said -

when someone's in your heart, they will never be all that far away.

Good night, Grannie Island.