Free Danny Allen Was Here by Phil Cummings

kill him with one blow.’
    At that moment Stanley thrust his horns grumpily at Mark again. He lay still and floppy. Stanley butted him again. Mark was pushed onto his back. The gash on his forehead where he had hit the rock became visible. It glistened.
    Danny couldn’t stand watching any more. ‘I’m going to help him.’
    Sam pushed a stiff arm across Danny’s chest, barring his exit. ‘Don’t be stupid!’
    Danny pushed the arm away. ‘Stanley won’t hurt me. I used to feed him.’
    Sam shook his head. ‘Sheep can’t remember things!’

    Danny put his hands firmly on his hips. ‘They know where all the best tracks in the creek are and how to get there. If they can remember that, then Stanley will remember me. It wasn’t that long ago that I used to nurse and feed him.’ Danny pointed in Mark’s direction. ‘And I have never teased him. I bet he remembered Mark. Stanley’s got no reason to be angry with me.’
    Before Sam could respond, Danny suddenly darted from the fort. Once out of the reach of his protesting brother he slowed down to a sneaking pace.
    ‘Don’t go, Danny!’ Vicki cried through the small window. ‘Come back in. Come back in!’
    ‘Yeah, don’t be an idiot, Danny,’ Sam called. ‘Get back here.’
    ‘He won’t hurt me,’ said Danny out of the corner of his mouth. ‘I know he won’t.’
    ‘You don’t know anything, Danny,’ said Sam. ‘He’s not a lamb any more. He’s mad!’
    Vicki put some hair into her mouth and started chewing nervously. ‘Daaannnyyyy,’ she whined.
    Sam watched silently. In his mind he ran through some strategies of what to do if Danny found himself in trouble. He would have to grab a big stick and charge.
    Danny stood in the playground and called gently to Stanley. ‘Hey, Stanley boy, hey?’
    He scooped up a handful of soft, powdery dust. He threw it into the air to attract Stanley’s attention. It drifted in a cloud over the ram’s head.
    Mark Thompson lay still, as if dead. The gash on his head looked disgusting. For an instant, Danny gained some wicked satisfaction at seeing the gash. Mark would need stitches and he didn’t like stitches. He couldn’t even look at Sam’s arm when he’d had stitches after the dune surfing. He even hated seeing the scar they’d left. Anyway, getting stitches would serve him right!
    Stanley looked up to the dust Danny had thrown. The big ram stepped back. He turned to look at Danny. Their eyes met.
    ‘Please come back in, Danny!’ Vicki cried.
    Danny bent down and pulled up a big tuft of green grass that was growing around the base of the playground tap.
    He held it out and offered it to Stanley. The big ram tossed his head once . . . then twice.
    Danny’s heart thumped hard against his chest. Stanley eyed him. Danny froze. Danny was sure he was going to charge. So was Sam. He moved to stand just outside the fort. Vicki held her breath.
    Stanley started to walk toward Danny, who didn’t flinch.
    ‘Keep still, Danny,’ Sam urged.
    Danny waved the grass tentatively. Stanley kept coming: slowly, cautiously, suspiciously.
    ‘Here, boy,’ said Danny nervously. ‘Have some grass.’
    Sam picked up a stick ready to charge at the big ram and beat him away if he took to Danny. Vicki turned away; she couldn’t watch. ‘I don’t like to see guts,’ she mumbled forlornly to herself.
    Danny offered the grass cautiously to Stanley’s nose.
    The ram sniffed and took a cautious step forward. He then began nibbling sedately. Danny knelt and pulled up more grass. A minute later he had a hand on Stanley’s back as the big ram munched happily at the small forest of grass around the tap.

    Danny looked to Sam. ‘The grass should keep him busy. Come on, let’s drag Thommo out of the way.’
    Sam moved slowly to stand with Danny. ‘If Stanley looks like having a go at us,’ he said, ‘we get back in the fort.’
    Danny nodded.
    Vicki called to her brothers. ‘What about me?’ she squealed. ‘Don’t