Chapters 7-9 Summary

In Chapter 7 Herriot discusses his third encounter with Helen and her family before the two are married. He has already taken her on two failed dates. On this day he joins the family for tea. Helen's father speaks little to Herriot and when he does speak he disagrees with him. One of the family's cow hands comes to tell Helen's father one of the cows is sick. Thinking this is a way to impress the farmer, Herriot goes out to look at it. Instead of being able to save the cow, however, the cow dies despite Herriot's treatment.

Chapter 8 recounts an embarrassing instance in Herriot's career. In an attempt to befriend Mr. Crump, the owner of a Shire horse he'd been treating, Herriot drinks a bit too much homemade wine. Unfortunately in this state he is called to help deliver a...