time passed. days and nights.
on some days it rained. on others the sun shone, but never too brightly.
gertrude took her sheep to market when it was time. the old woman who had sheared her sheep was no longer at the shearing station. a younger woman had taken her place. she looked at gertrude with suspicion.
"don't come down here too often, do you? mother anna has been gone for a goodly time, almost a year. i have never seen you before."
"i come down when it is time."
"i guess you do. this is not the best looking batch of sheep i have seen this week. but not the worst either. " the young woman looked sharply at gertrude. "you missed your chance. the lord sent his man over here not so long ago, buying up sheep for a great feast. you could have got a good price for some of these beauties then. too bad you missed it."
gertrude stared at the young woman. "but if i sold a sheep for a feast, then it could not give wool for next year, could it? "
the young woman laughed. "what an attitude! have you not had new lambs this year? new sheep for new wool? well, not so many, by the looks of this group. but , you have to look for opportunities when they arise, eh?"
gertrude did not quite grasp the young woman's meaning, and smiled politely.
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