F-red to the rescue!

This story is for those people, especially children, who delight in the sight of the Chesterfield tractors lined up on the grass fronting the M1 at Loganholme on the way to the Gold Coast. I’m sure I’ve seen them chatting to each other!

 

Every morning the manager would start all the tractors and one by one drive them onto the grass verge overlooking the highway. He knew that all the farmers driving by would be able to see his tractors for sale.

The tractors like this arrangement too.

First Big Trev would be manoeuvred into place. Big Trev liked to be first so he could oversee the remaining stock being slotted into their proper places.

Then came Mighty Mal, he wasn’t quite as big and powerful as Big Trev but he knew he was just as useful and he liked being beside his mate in the front row.

Then all the rest of the tractor stock was lined up in rows of three. Big Trev nodded that all was right with the layout until he noticed an empty space.

“Hey Mighty Mal, what’s that space beside you?” Big Trev asked.

“Hey Big Trev, that’s where Great George was displayed, he was bought by a farmer yesterday afternoon and went to his new home straight away. He was taken on a big trailer just after you were put into the shed.

Big Trev wondered which tractor would now make it into the missing space and onto the front line.

“Big Trev,” said Mighty Mal, “I heard that we’re getting a new tractor into our row this morning, it’s coming in straight from the factory.”

Big Trev thought about a new tractor. Would it be bigger than him? Would it have pride of place in the line up? Would farmers go straight to the new tractor and ignore him?

These thoughts were weighing on him when he heard splutter splutter splutter and putt putt putt coming up behind. What’s that sound he thought?

“Hey Mighty Mal, look at the little weakling coming into the display,” he said.

“Hey Trev, that’s the one I told you about. It’s a mini-tractor, I ‘ve heard they are very popular with hobby farmers.”

Big Trev laughed out loud. He cackled so loudly all the other tractors in the display started laughing too.

But, they all stopped laughing when the little red tractor was put into place in the first row beside Mighty Mal and Big Trev.

Big Trev was astonished. Mighty Mal was shocked. They looked at each other and knew they were thinking the same thing: Who is this little pip-squeak coming into our front row? How dare the manager put a less superior machine into pride of place with us? We’ll ignore it!

“Umm, hello,” said the little red tractor. “Umm, my name is F-red.”

Big Trev and Mighty Mal looked the other way.

F-red sighed. “I guess I’ll never fit in here with all you big, important tractors,” he said. F-red sighed again.

Later that morning, the manager come down to the display and brought a farmer with him.

“This is the top of the line, we call him Big Trev,” the manager said. “He is the equivalent of 54 horses in the field and can easily do all the heavy work you need.”

Big Trev was proud. Pick me, pick me he thought.

“And this one,” the farmer said, pointing to the next in line.

“Yes, well that’s Mighty Mal, he’s next in power to weight ratio and has quite a few attachments that would make him very handy on your farm,” said the manager.

Might Mal was smiling. Pick me, pick me, he thought.

“And this little red one, what can it do?” the farmer asked heading towards F-red.

“This is a new machine, it’s not as strong as the others but it is very useful and can get into tight places and turn very easily without having to back up,” the manager said.

F-red tried to be brave when being compared to the big tractors. Please pick me, he thought, holding his breath.

The farmer nodded his head and rubbed his chin. “Well, it looks like all my needs would be covered with these machines. I’d like to buy Big Trev but only if I can get a good deal on F-red.”

Big Trev was horrified. Going to a farm with an insignificant little model like F-red! And the whole deal relying on that scrappy toy. Big Trev scowled at F-red.

The manager and the farmer talked and talked and then they shook hands.

“Looks like you two will be going to a new home tomorrow,” the manager said looking at Big Trev and F-red. “Big Trev, just as well that farmer really wanted F-red or you’d be left here.”

Mighty Mal was delighted. He’d be in the number one spot in the display.

And F-red? He was simply happy to be going to a farm to run around and play all day.