Kindness
Mae once nursed a fox that used to chase her chickens. She still fed it.
About the Story
Grandma Mae runs a small farm in Wisconsin. These stories grew out of the animals she actually cares for.
In a little countryside village, there lived a wise and gentle soul known as Grandma Mae. She was no ordinary Grandma she was a chicken doctor of sorts. Some affectionately called her "Chicken Grandma."
Her white hair always peeked out from beneath a sun hat, and her apron was perpetually dusted with flour or dotted with tiny feathers. Mae was known far and wide not just for her delicious cookies and homemade spaghetti, but for her extraordinary way with animals, especially her beloved chickens.
What started as barnyard chickens advanced into countless injured animals showing up at her barnyard doors. For a cow with a sore hoof, she performed delicate massages. For a pig with a bellyache, she prescribed herbal remedies from the farm's finest plants. Even the grumpy old goat couldn't deny her talents when she nursed his twisted horn back into place.
Her most heartwarming achievement came one stormy night when a fox long a terror to her poultry family limped into her yard with a thorn in its paw. With a calm smile and steady hand, she tended to the fox. From that day on, the fox swore off chasing chickens and became her assistant, helping gather eggs while Mae gave him food for his den.
A Patchwork Clinic
Mae's little farm transformed into a patchwork clinic, complete with tiny splints, bowls of healing salves, and poultices from her flourishing herb garden. Injured turkeys, tangled ducklings, rabbits with sore paws, twin sister hedgehogs with colds, stray cats, and even a timid fawn all found their way to her door.
Mae never turned any little critter away. Her home became a sanctuary filled with soft clucking, gentle bleats, and the rustling of paws and feathers. To the neighbors, Grandma Mae was sweet and caring. To the animals, she was simply "home."
How Mae Became a Healer
Growing up on a small farm, Mae witnessed how even the smallest creatures contributed to the beauty and balance of the world God created. After her children grew up and moved away, and her dear husband passed on, the chickens in her care became her companions they weren't just animals; they were family.
It wasn't one event but a lifetime of love, loss, and empathy that shaped Grandma Mae into the gentle healer she became. She found happiness and healing in caring for others.
Community
Chickens, ducks, raccoons, and cats all share the same barnyard.
Wonder
Most days are quiet. Then something odd shows up at the gate.
Faith
Gratitude and faith show up in small ways throughout the book.
