The title story of this collection, "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life," presents not only a physical glimpse at the characters who repeatedly appear in Dahl's stories about England's Buckinghamshire countryside but a view of their thought processes as well. Humorous interpretations of such common events as mating, pest control, and nightly recreational activities appear throughout the stories. Because the narrator himself is new to the art of dairy farming, he offers a believable voice to relate his recent encounters with the reality of life on the farm. On this particular morning, he visits the local dairy farm to arrange for the impregnation of his one and only cow.

The narrator's trusted friend Claud Cummins accompanies him and forewarns him of the secretly successful practices that the dairy farmer Rummins undertakes to assure that he produces heifers, not bulls—a definite advantage on a dairy farm...