THE LEVITATION

There was another beggar who, poor soul, had lost the power in his legs and was unable to walk and the rest of his body seemed locked. He was wheeled about in a large two-handed wheel barrow from door to door and the people who carried him would knock at the door leaving him momentarily on the door step. The person answering the door, no doubt, took pity on the poor craitur and would give him something. After the door was closed they would return and wheel him to the next door where the same procedure was enacted. They carried him from farm to farm, and village to village and all who came in contact with him would offer him some money or food or whatever was available.

One day near Crieff the party wheeling the barrow with the beggar in it were passing between two farms by way of a short cut through a field where some cows were gently grazing. Unbeknown to the party there was also a bull in the field and when it saw them it lowered its head and bellowed and started charging towards them. Self preservation took over and the carriers dropped the wheelbarrow and took to their heels running towards a dry stone dyke.

On their gallop they were overtaken by a fast running figure. He leapt over the drystone dyke ahead of them and disappeared. Once they had themselves cleared the dyke they looked back and all that could be seen was the bull pawing at the wheelbarrow which was empty and there was no sign of their passenger. The man who had passed them at some considerable speed was the beggar who never went back for the barrow and was never seen in the district again. It is really amazing what a bit of bull will do!

Aberdeen Angus Bull