9 THE FIRST DAY

CHAPTER 9 THE FIRST DAY At dawn, the cows began to stir. One by one, they walked out the side door, across the muddy barnyard, and into the parlor for a quick milking before heading down to the pasture. They followed the same routine, every morning, like clockwork. However, on this morning, the cows were joined by a robot. With her computer brain full of farming knowledge, Roz was ready for her first day on the job. She stomped through the tall, wet grass, and her head slowly turned as she scanned the scenery. The sun was rising. The fog was lifting. The cows were grazing. And then the whole world seemed to flip upside down. Before Roz knew what was happening, she was on her back looking up at the sky. A strong stench filled the air. Our robot had slipped on cow dung.

The herd erupted into laughter. Tess called out, "Welcome to Hilltop Farm, Roz!" which brought another round of snorts and moos. "You'll have to get used to cow patties, and to laughter," said old Annabelle, strolling over. "Not much happens around here, so we're always eager to laugh." "I understand," said Roz. "I like laughing too." And she forced out an awkward "Ha-ha-haaa!" Then the robot stood up, wiped her feet, and continued exploring the farm. But she was more careful to watch where she stepped. The fields and buildings and fences were all in need of Roz's attention. But her most urgent task was to fix the broken farm machines. The Herding Machine was designed to roll through the pasture and look after the cows while they grazed. But it had gotten stuck in the mud and was becoming a popular hangout for birds. The Field Machine was gigantic, like a house on wheels. It was designed to roam the fields, planting and fertilizing and harvesting the feed crops. But it had ground to a halt weeks ago and was now just collecting dust in a far corner of the property. The Drone was a small flying

machine with a special camera attached to its underside. It was designed to fly above the farm and keep an eye on the whole place, but it came crashing down when a mob of crows attacked it in flight. Other broken machines were hidden within clumps of weeds. And still more were waiting for repairs in the shed. The peaceful morning was suddenly jolted by the sounds of power tools as Roz began fixing the machines. Thanks to her robotic strength and smarts, she made excellent progress. The hours flew by, the machines rumbled back to life, and the farm began buzzing with activity. At sunset, Rambler came bouncing down the driveway with the Shareefs in the front and Oscar in the back. "How's it going, Roz?" said Mr. Shareef, leaning out his window. The children giggled and waved from their seats. The dog sniffed the breeze. "It is going well," said Roz in a robotic voice. "Many of the machines are working again." "I see that." Mr. Shareef gazed up at the Drone, circling high overhead. "We thought we'd come out and check on you, but it looks like you're doing fine,

so we'll stay out of your way. Keep up the good work, Roz." As the truck started rolling up the driveway, Oscar looked back at Roz and barked, "You smell like cow patties!" He was right. The robot was filthy. And she finished her first day as a farmer by scrubbing herself with soap and water.