It was a warm, late spring morning, and the wheat field was taking one last sip of sunshine, waiting for the harvest with fat, ripe eyes. Soon, the combine arrived, grumbling, to cut the stalks and harvest the seeds.
Behind him, a somewhat frightened tractor was huffing and puffing, pulling a trailer. He was used to children admiring his huge wheels and powerful engine. But the harvester was much, much bigger than he was! It almost dwarfed him.
- I cut and sift the wheat. You come with me and collect the stems! - the combine gave the order.
- "Make sure you never fall behind, and don't let the straw fall on the ground," he warned sternly.
The cutting knives were turning, the wheat stalks were falling down in rows. The seeds went into the belly of the threshing machine, and the stalks fell out through a long tube on the side, right onto the trailer, which the tractor was pulling, and he was very careful not to miss!
Until suddenly, when they came to the side of the road, he heard crying:
- I haven't eaten since last week, give me some hay!
A small cow was walking by, hungrily watching the harvest. The tractor took pity on her, stopping for a moment to let a small pile of wheat stalks fall to the ground. The goat ran happily to get it. It was true that it preferred the hay and the mown grass, but it was happy to chew the straw, too, if there was nothing else.
He was happy to help the tractor, but then he quickly kept on banging, because the combine had already noticed that he was behind and growled angrily at him:
- Never be left behind! Don't fall to the ground!
The cutting knives continued to turn, the wheat stalks fell, and the machines continued to move alongside each other.
Yes, but suddenly, as they came to a patch of woods at the edge of the field, there was another cry.
- Oh, my nest is gone, the wind blew in the night!
A little bird was chirping, hopping sorrowfully on a branch. The tractor took pity on it, pausing for a moment to let some straw fall to the ground. The little bird flew happily for it, picked it up in its beak and built a nest.
The tractor was glad to be of help, but then quickly rolled on, so that the threshing machine would not notice that it had fallen behind. But no sooner had he reached the spot than he heard another complaint!
- My little piglets are tired, where can they find a bed?
A mother pig was standing on the side of the road with her children. Their feet hurt from all the walking. The tractor took pity on them, stopping for a moment to drop some straw on the ground.
The mama pig took it upon herself to make a bed for the little piglets. But alas!
Then the combine noticed and got very angry! He snorted and growled at the tractor! He shouted and cursed! And the tractor was very frightened, he couldn't see or hear, he just ran away, through the wheat field, through the muddy ditch, out onto the dirt road.
And the threshing machine afterwards!
Yes, but even though the combine was big and powerful, it was made for walking in a wheat field, not rolling in mud! It got stuck in the ditch and tipped over, fearing that all the wheat grain it had collected would be thrown out.
- "Oh dear, there's trouble, get me out of here quickly!" he shouted to the tractor, but it was already over the ditch and bushes.
Fortunately, the little bird heard the cry for help and quickly flew after the tractor.
- "Come back, we're in big trouble, we need help now!" he shouted, as the tractor turned back. Even then the combine was not angry. He must have been so scared that he couldn't get out of the mud.
The tractor tried to pull him out of the ditch. He pulled and pulled, but just when the stuck wheel was about to come loose, he ran out of strength. He just couldn't pull it out.
- I'm strong, I'm pulling, but I can't do it in the end! - he moaned.
The mama pig heard his complaint, and ran to help, too, and started to dig the earth out from under the stuck wheel. The cow came along, and he stood behind the combine and pushed it from behind.
The tractor pulled and pulled, the cow pushed and pushed, the pig pushed and pushed, and finally the wheel jumped and the combine got out of the ditch.
- Thank you for not leaving me here, for pulling me out of the mud! - she said.
- I could not have won alone, think of the animals! - replied the tractor, and the threshing machine realised that he had been wrong to be so angry.
He even gave the bird, the cow and the piglets some wheat and only then did they get back to work.
By the time the sun had set, they had just finished, and arrived home laden with produce and straw.
Rumour has it that no one ever saw the combine growling angrily after that.
Maybe true, maybe not, when I see the tractor I'll ask!
If you want a tractor-driven cutlery, check out the Story Plate page!
