"Onceuponatime in sunny Spain there was a little bull, and his name was Ferdinand." "All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together." "But not Ferdinand." "He had his favorite spot out in the pasture, under a cork tree." "And he would sit just quietly in its shade all day and smell the flowers." "Sometimes his mother, who was a cow," "Would worry about him." "She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself." "Now, Ferdinand, why don't you play with all the other little bulls and butt your head?" "ButFerdinand would shake his head." "I like it better here, where I can sit just quietly and smell the flowers." "Andbecauseshewas  an understanding mother, even though she was a cow," "she let him just sit there and be happy." "As the years went by," "Ferdinand grew and grew and grew, until he was very big and very strong." "All the other bulls wanted most of all to fight at the bullfights in Madrid." "But not Ferdinand." "He still liked to sit just quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers." "One day five men came in funny hats to pick the biggest, fastest, roughest bull to fight in the bullfights." "All the other bulls ran around leaping and huffing and butting their heads, so the men would think they were strong and fierce and pick them." "But not Ferdinand." "He knew they wouldn't pick him and he didn't care." "So he went out under his favorite cork tree to sit down, but he didn't look where he was sitting, and he sat on a bumblebee!" "Ferdinandranaroundpuffing and snorting as if he were crazy." "The five men saw him, and they all shouted with joy." ""Look at him go!"" " ¡Bravo!" " ¡Excelente!" " ¡Magnífico!" " ¡Espléndido!" "This is the one!" "Whoopee!" "Sotheytookhim away for the bullfight day in a cart." "What a day it was!" "Flags were flying, bands were playing." "They had a parade into the bullring." "Firstcame the banderilleros." "Next came the picadors." "Then came the matador, the proudest of all." "Then came the bull." "And you know who that was, don't you?" "Mm-hmm." "Ferdinand." "Hooray!" "Theycalledhim Ferdinand the Fierce, and all the banderilleros were afraid of him." "The picadors were afraid of him, and the matador, he was scared stiff." "When Ferdinand saw the lovely flowers, he ran to the middle of the ring." "Everyone shouted, because they thought he was going to fight fiercely." "When he got to the middle of the ring, he sat down just quietly  and smelled." "The banderilleros were mad, and the picadors were madder." "But the matador was the maddest of all." "Come on, fight!" "What's the matter?" "Be fierce!" "Come on, come on!" "Boo!" "Ahhh!" "Bah!" "Thematador, he made very ugly faces." "Wahhh!" "Na na na na na na na!" "Nyah!" "ButFerdinand just sat and smelled." "The matador, he was furious." "He broke his sword in little pieces." "He stomped his feet." "He pulled his hair." "But still Ferdinand sat just quietly  and smelled." "He pleaded with Ferdinand." "Please, please!" "Stick me, do something." "Do something!" "Give it to me!" "Whoa." "Whoa." "Thematador was so mad he cried, 'cause he couldn't show off with his cape and sword." "So they had to take Ferdinand home." "And for all I know, he is sitting there still under his favorite cork tree," "Smelling the flowers  just quietly." "He is very happy."