Farmer's Room @museum.de

...25, 32, 36 and carry two, makes seven... no, rubbish... eight. Or... hold on a minute...

Meow!

Oh, dammit, Tom! Now you’ve gone and made me lose my place, and I’ll have to start all over again. It's late, I've been slaving away all day, and all I want is to fall into bed. Right now.

But the day’s work isn’t done until I’ve recorded the milk yield of our cows and added it all up. Drat the endless bookkeeping! Tables and figures, and figures and tables! And for no reason but to make sure we always dutifully pay our taxes, and the inspector can't find fault. As if there were any great riches to be had from us ... with our half-dozen dairy cows.

But look here, Tom, my lad: our cows produce almost seven litres each a day. Seven litres, it could be more, but it's not to be sniffed at, either. Well, they have a good life here, our girls: Schecke, Sterne, Schwalbe, Finke, Murkel and Suse.

And now, I really am exhausted. I'll just finish this tomorrow, with a clear head. But mind you keep that to yourself, Tom lad! Are you planning to stay here with me for the night? My bed isn't very wide, but if you curl up at my feet... It’s spacious enough, really. I’ve neither wife nor young‘uns, so the narrow bed here in my study will do. There’s no need for more.

My father certainly thought matters would turn out differently. He wanted Oskar to take on the farm... But he died in the war. And Erwin has passed away, too. Linda is a woman, so she can’t inherit. And nor is she married. Richard has become a preacher. So my father left the farm to me. No other choice, what was he to do? But when I grow old, with no offspring, the lights here will go out. Even the old man knows that. But what can he do? Five children, no grandchildren, it makes for a bleak future.

But before we do anything else, let's get some sleep – eh, Tom lad? The stove has cooled right down, and in just a few hours, it’ll be daybreak, and then, it’s back to work.

As for the stupid accounts – they’ll just have to wait!