Lögberg-Heimskringla - 07.11.1997, Síða 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday, November 7, 1997
Erik the Viking Sheep
A Book Review
M l rik the Viking Sheep is a
rl children’s story, telling the
* ^ saga of an independent
minded Icelandic sheep, who, after
being read stories of Viking glory by
a farm girl, entertains ideas of war-
like giory in the ancient Norse fash-
ion. It is a Don Quixote for children,
with vibrant watercolour illustrations.
In the beginning of the story, a
lone Icelandic ram, is kept confined
in a pen. His Icelandic pedigree is
conveyed in the following lines:
“At first the only company he had
was the woman who came to feed
him. One day she brought a little girl
with her.
“He looks different from the other
sheep, Mom,” said the girl. “And he’s
red.”
“He is different, Marie,” said her
mother. “He’s an Icelandic sheep, and
he’s just come from Iceland. This
breed is more than a thousand years
old. The Vikings used to keep sheep
like him.”
“Wow!” sáid Marie, “a Viking
sheep! We could call him Erik the
Red!”
“If you like,” said her mother,
smiling.
“But why is he all alone in here?”
asked Marie.
“He’s in quarantine,” said her
mother. “That means he has to stay
away from the other sheep until we
know he isn’t sick with something.
Sometimes you can’t tell right away.”
“Poor Erik,” said Marie. “I’ll
come and visit you.” (2-3)”
When Marie does come to visit,
she brings her illustrated books on
the Vikings, and the imaginative ram
has visions of grandeur:
“Erik imagined himself leading a
shipload of fierce Viking sheep on a
raid. They would steal all the hay and
grain, and kidnap young ewes. They
would look so fierce in their helmets
and cloaks that everybody would be
afraid of them. Then they would sail
away before anybody could stop
them, and bring their booty back to
the farm (8).”
With the quarantine over, Erik
joins the other sheep, and showing
ELIZABETH CREITH gc LINDA HENDRY
rik"“Vik
% i
his leadership potential, he tries to
draw the other sheep into his plans
for Viking glory, which leads to a
mishap with a pail, which he dons for
a helmet. After some embarrassment,
the romantic Icelandic ram is brought
into the fold by an old ewe, and he
becomes the most accomplished story
teller in the flock!
Erik the Viking Sheep is a chil-
dren’s book, redolent with Viking
lore and myth which is full of humour
and warmth. The hero, Erik, has some
obvious Icelandic traits, which he
comes by honestly; with too much
romanticism and imagination, he is
lead down a quixotic path.
This is an engaging story which
will have the parents laughing with
their children. With the passing of
time, the serious becomes ripe for
satire and humour, and so the later
myths of the Norse god Þór are
fraught with laughable scenes. It is
in the nature of things that such a
transformation should happen to
the Viking Age; this book is the
fruition of that evolution.
Erik the Viking Sheep, the product
of two Canadian women, Elizabeth
Creith and Linda Hendry, is sold by
Scholastic for $6.99 in Canada. □
Icelandic
nadia
Frón
Enjoy a favourably priced
Friday smorg,
either lunch or evening
at the Nordic House of Canada
— the cultural home of the
Winnipeg Frón
Membership in the club is not required.
764 Erin Street, Winnipeg
Telephone: (204) 774-8047
Is Trustíng
Humans
Sane?
By Flipi Petursson
Flipi said he had sworn never to set
foot in a trailer again. He thought hu-
mans were just too much. First, their
invasion of the new stallion pasture
(the hundred acres) and the huge bar-
becue they insisted on having without
any concern for the horses — the in-
habitants there. In this issue he’ll tell
about his subsequent visit to the vet.
About a week after the big bar-
becue, when we were just be-
ginning to get used to our new
corral, Jeanie and Elisabeth sorted us
and loaded a bunch of us into the
trailer. We were going to the vet they
said. Just out of the driveway and onto
the highway, the truck slowed to a
stop. After that, it completely refused
to budge. New clutch, Elisabeth
prophesied.
It took forever before the tow
truck showed up, and when it finally
did, the driver hoisted the rig to an in-
sane angle. I, personally, think only
Icelandics could have kept their bal-
ance under those conditions, but I
guess you couldn’t expect a tow truck
driver to know that.
Back at the ranch, all the other
horses wanted to know about our ad-
venture. “Not much to tell,” I said.
“Just a long time in a crowded trailer,
that’s all.”
A week later we did make it to the
vet. We were all at our best behaviour
and ready to show off our Viking Saga
Ranch manners. I was the first Elisa-
beth put a halter on. Suddenly, I was
jabbed by a needle. I was okay with
that. It doesn’t happen every time we
get wormed, but sometimes it does. A
quick little sting, and then we know
it’s over, and Elisabeth makes a big
fuss over us, and tells us how much she
loves us and what great guys we are.
That’s not the way it was this time.
I felt myself getting groggy, but not
Continued on page 6
r Í4a& K
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Jfic&Sl jraLrhsft
ÆBmM Mmmítlmm
Marty E rlendson
"Hard tvorh is my trademark'
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