Thinking on Mondays

I hope to read this children's book about two cows who live on a farm called "Minnie and Moo and the Seven Wonders of the world"written and illustrated by Denys Cazet to you on Monday. It says some interesting things about thinking.........................................................

Minnie and Moo strolled to the top of their favourite hill. They leaned against the old oak tree and watched the summer day give way to the summer night.......

Minnie looked at Moo.”You're thinking again,” she said.
Moo sat down. “How do you know?”
“It's in the air,” said Minnie. “Everyone else is settling in for the night, and your brain is cooking on all four burners.”
Moo sighed. She looked at the grass. She tugged at a tuft of poppies. “I have thoughts,” she said softly.
“Moo,” said Minnie, “it is much too late for thinking. You know what that extra thought does to you in the evenings.”
Moo picked up a dandelion. She held it up against the setting sun and turned it slowly.
“Thinking is not healthy,” continued Minnie. “Thinking leads to sleepless nights, headaches, and torpid bowels.”
Moo lay back on the cool grass. She blew on the dandelion and watched the feathery seeds rise up and float away in the light wind.“Don't you ever think?” Moo asked.
“Please!”said Minnie. “When I am hungry, I eat. When I am thirsty, I drink. I don't have to think about it!”“But, Minnie...”
“Tut-tut!” said Minnie. “When you were sick last winter, I did not have to think about taking care of you. You are my friend. One friend takes care of another. What is there to think about? There is too much thinking going on in the world and not enough doing.”
“That is a thought!”said Moo.
“Moo!”gasped Minnie. “ How can you say such a thing? I am a cow. I am much too busy to think.”Moo touched Minnie's shoulder.
“Minnie,” she said, “I am a cow...and I think.”
Minnie sighed. She looked off into the distance. The hills were black against the fading light. “Mother Nature is an odd duck,” she muttered.
“Aha!” said Moo. “There's another one!”
“Another what?” asked Minnie.“Another thought!”
“Never!” said Minnie. “I was saying what I know. I do not know because I think. I know because I see. I see. I say. I do.”
Moo stared at Minnie for a moment. She put her arms behind her back and paced back and forth. Suddenly she twirled and said,”The farmer thinks and look at all the wonderful things he can do.”
Minnie folded her arms. “He does not do because he can think,” Minnie said. “He do because he has thumbs!”
“And a bigger brain.”............
"I'm telling you, Moo, a bigger brain is not all its cracked up to be.”
“But....Minnie...”“Moo, brains are overrated!”
“Minnie! What could be more important than the brain?”
“The stomach!” said Minnie. “The stomach is much more important.”
“The stomach?” Moo repeated.
“Of course,” said Minnie. “What matters more? Eating or thinking?”
Moo began to pace again. “ If I do not eat,” she muttered. “I will die. If I am dead, I cannot think. When I do not think, I fidget. Therefore, I would rather fidget while I am alive than fidget while I am dead.”
Moo shrugged.”Eating is better than thinking, I think.”
Minnie threw up her arms. “There you have it,” she said “It is why cows have several stomachs and farmers have only one. Now let's have no more of this! It's settled. Thinking is not healthy and....”
"What about dogs?”Moo asked.
“What?”“What about dogs?” Moo repeated.
Minnie sighed. “What about them?”
“Dogs think,” said Moo. “Rosie, Mrs Farmer's cocker spaniel, sits on the back porch and stares off into space for hours at a time.”
“Rosie is not thinking,” said Minnie. “She is waiting for a thought.”
“Okay,” said Moo. “Then how about Labradors?....They think.”
“No,” said Minnie. “Labradors do not think. They please.”
“How about cats?” said Moo. “When Rufus catches a mouse in the barn, he plans , he schemes, he thinks”
“No, “ said Minnie. “Rufus never has to think. He simply does. He knows where the mice live and lies in the sun enjoying a a snooze. If a mouse comes by, he will catch it. If he is in a playful mood, he will tease the bejabbers out of it. If he happens to be hungry, he will eat it. None of that requires thinking.”
“I'll bet the mouse is thinking,” said Moo.
“He shouldn't!”said Minnie. “He should be doing what he needs to do and watch where he's doing it. Forget the thinking and do the doing.”
Moo turned away form Minnie and looked out across the farm toward the distant hills and the setting sun. She sighed and then sat next to Minnie. “I guess you are right,”she said.” I don't know why I have thoughts. They just seem to show up without being invited.”
Minnie smiled. “We are what we are,” she said, patting Moo on the arm. “Some things never change.”
“That's all right with me,”said Moo.
“Me too,” said Minnie.
Together they watched the last rays of the sun fade in the western sky.
"Yesterday,” said Minnie, “the night sky was red. Tonight it is orange.”
Moo put her arm around Minnie.“I wonder why,”she said.