Fauna Friday: Oxen on their knees

There is an old country legend that oxen fall on their knees at midnight on Christmas Eve. Thomas Hardy wrote a poem about it (below). I haven't actually asked any cattle farmer if this is really true. I don't think any of them would bother to go and look at that time of night. 

Christmas Eve, and twelve of of the clock

'Now they are all on their knees'

An elder said as we sat in a flock 

By the embers in hearthside ease

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

In these years! Yet, I feel,

If someone said on Christmas Eve,

'Come, see the oxen kneel

In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

Our childhood used to know'

I should go with him in the gloom

Hoping it might be so.


Update on hubby. Bad chest pains on Saturday so took him to A&E but they found nothing wrong so sent him home. Yesterday morning, very unsteady on his legs. Left leg not working at all, weak left arm, foggy vision in left eye. Took him to A&E. He stayed overnight and had a couple of scans. He has had a stroke, bless him, but thankfully not a serious one. Not a TIA or a mini-stroke but a 'proper' one. He is better today, left leg a little better, right leg much better so he is home but needs a stick and lots of support from me. He is getting so thin it's really scaring me.