The Story of the Two Bulls

A deacon prides himself on his cattle, especially a magnificent spotted bull he has acquired. When he introduces this new bull to his existing champion, curiosity gnaws at him: which bull is truly the stronger? Despite being a man of God, he cannot resist the temptation to find out. He leaves for church services, but his mind stays fixed on the confrontation he has orchestrated. The bulls do indeed fight, a furious and catastrophic battle that tears through his home and sends everything tumbling. The deacon returns to chaos and must reckon with the consequences of his vanity. This is a small, strange Victorian fable that knows exactly what it is: a gentle warning wrapped in verse and comedy. Bolles has a sharp ear for the rhythms of humor, and the deacon's gradual undoing plays like a minor comic tragedy. It wont change your life, but it will make you smile and, perhaps, think twice before letting pride dictate your choices. For readers who enjoy witty 19th-century verse fables with gentle moral teeth, this is a peculiar little artifact worth discovering.