Reading Comprehension 10 - All Creatures Great and Small

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ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

By James Herriot (A Summary)

The book begins as Herriot starts off on his own after veterinary school. He is desperate to find a job and is offered the position as an assistant to Dr. Siegfried Farnon in Darrowby. Little does Herriot know what his acceptance of this position will mean for the rest of his life. Happy to have a job, he launches headlong into his new career.

Herriot's first veterinary visit is a reminder that the life of a country vet is not the same as that of a city vet in a clean office. He will have to endure freezing temperatures, sleep deprivation, a lack of electricity, and stubborn clients as he treats his patients. His job will not be easy, but his love of the work will see him through even the most difficult situations.

One of Herriot’s easy patients is Tricky Woo, a little dog who is owned by a rich older lady. She spends lots of money on the dog but feeds him too much fat, which Herriot is always trying to get her to stop. Tricky Woo sends treats to Skeldale House and Herriot learns that he must talk to the dog just like he would a person.

Herriot, after having only seen a diagram of a horse in veterinary school, decides he knows everything about horses. He sees an old, sway-backed coal cart horse and attempts to soothe him. The horse picks him up and hangs onto him by his fancy coat until the owner returns. Herriot is properly humbled.

Herriot calls on a farmer with six sick steers. The farmer is waiting for some new-fangled diagnosis and treatment, since Herriot is young and fresh out of veterinary school. Instead, Herriot tells him the animals have lead poisoning and to give them Epsom salts. The farmer is disappointed at the old-school remedy, but it works. Later, the man has a bull who is down and has a temperature of 110. Once again, he expects a new remedy, but the bull has heat stroke, so Herriot has the men spray him with water, which effectively cures him. Once again, the man is disappointed that he never got to see newer methods used.

As Herriot passes his first year in Darrowby, he learns about more than just the animals in the region. He gets to know the people well and learns about their peculiarities and customs, as a vet usually ends up treating the owners of his patients as often as he does their animals. Herriot becomes a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board, and in some cases, a punching bag for frustrations.

Herriot's first winter in the region passes and he is amazed by how cold the Dales can be. Spring comes in May and all is renewed with the joy of lambing and the fresh countryside.

From stories about pampered lapdogs to rugged farm animals, Herriot reveals the inner workings of a vet's life and the struggles veterinarians face every day. He learns more in his two years in the Dales than he did in veterinary school, and he puts this knowledge to use time and time again.

Throughout these stories, Herriot always keeps his cool, even when his patience is sorely tested, both by Dr. Farnon and the people of Yorkshire. Herriot's stories of his life as a country veterinarian have touched millions of people throughout the world.