KFRM Blog

Are You My Mother?
Thursday 3rd of February 2011 07:46 AM
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By Kim L. Fritzemeier

KFRM Central Kansas Reporter

Farm Wife along the Stafford/Reno County Line

Do you remember the book, Are You My Mother? It was published in 1960 as part of Random House's Beginner Books series.

I remember checking this book out of the Pratt Public Library as a child. When I took Jill and Brent to the library, I loved pulling my favorite books of childhood from the shelves and packing them in our book bag. We read Are You My Mother? over and over again.


Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman is the story about a mother bird who knows her egg will be in her nest where she left it, so she leaves him alone to go and get something for him to eat. The baby chick hatches. He does not understand where his mother is, so he goes to look for her. In his search, he asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow if they are his mother. They each say, "No."

Then he sees an old car, which cannot be his mother for sure. In desperation, the hatchling calls out to a boat and a plane, and at last, convinced he has found his mother, he climbs onto the teeth of an enormous power shovel. But as it shudders and grinds into motion he cannot escape. "I want my mother!" he shouts.

But at this climactic moment, his fate is suddenly reversed. The shovel drops him back in his nest, just as his mother is returning home, and the two are reunited, much to their delight. He then tells her about the adventure he had looking for her.

Unfortunately, we have a homegrown version of the Are You My Mother? tale going on in the corral.

On a prolific and very cold night, we had three heifers in labor. Two calved successfully. But despite Randy's efforts, the other baby didn't survive. It was twisted inside the mom and no amount of manipulation could dislodge the baby in time.

The next morning, the mama was still looking for her baby. So when Randy let the two pairs out of the barn, this lonely mama thought one of the babies was hers.

And I could understand it. It even looked like her.

It was heartbreaking for this human mom to watch. The instincts are there, deep inside her, just like they are for mothers everywhere. If we would happen to have twins right now, this heifer would be an ideal candidate to "adopt" one of the babies.

Randy and I watched the dance between the two mamas for awhile. With all the nudging going on between the two heifers, I worried the baby not get fed.

But Randy has another theory. That calf might just become the best fed calf in the corral.

I like Randy's theory better.

And what mother wouldn't love that cute little face?

I love happy endings.