THE COW THAT MOVES HERSELF
Hilda Brooker told the story of the farmer,
Sam Wisson and his cow. He used to have
a farmyard that was later occupied by Ted Smith & Sons. Every day, after milking, the cow meandered
up to Blacksmith's Close, which was then a meadow. Later on each evening one of Mr Wisson's sons used to open the
gate and let the cow wander back to her stall.
There were no cars in those days, only horses and carts and bicycles on
the roads.
One time there was an outbreak of foot and
mouth disease in the district and the movement of cattle was forbidden. Sam Wisson ignored this and the cow still
wandered from meadow to stall, so he was summoned before the Magistrate at
Biggleswade court.
"You are charged with moving your cow
on such and such a date and so breaking the law, Mr Wisson" said the
Magistrate. "What have you to say
in your defence?" "I didn't move her your honour", says Sam,
"My cow moves herself I've never moved her, somehow the gate got left open
and she came home and she moved herself".
He was fined fifteen shillings, but the next day the story of the cow
that moves herself was in all the paper: (Brooker p. )