Circus Jack - Chapter One. The Muller Farm

Circus Jack opens on a land steeped in Anabaptist heritage since 1790. The farmers who established it were courageous pioneers who crossed the Atlantic to escape religious persecution and economic hardships. In the fertile valley of New Holland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, they forged a tight-knit farming community, sharing resources and going beyond to care for their neighbors.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter 1. The Muller Farm.
Crossing the Atlantic since 1650, the Anabaptists sought to escape religious
persecution and the perpetual servitude to landowners for a new world of possibility.
This sprawling farm was established by the Mullers in 1790.
Brave pioneers who came to America with little more than clothes,

(00:23):
seeds and a determination to build a family and serve God through hard work
and devotion to the fertile valley they had been given.
Arriving with others from their community, this vast expanse of lush green valley
bordered by rolling hills and intertwined with creeks and springs,
Grandfather Muller saw only hope and opportunity in this new place.

(00:43):
By the time his children reached adulthood, New Holland, Pennsylvania of Lancaster
County had blossomed into a close-knit community of farmers,
bound together by similar stories and the traditional values brought from the old country.
They shared resources and knowledge freely, always willing to provide for their
neighbors in times of need.

(01:03):
No one is left behind in the community.
Neighbors are treated like extended family. The father arrived at the house
with his wagon, and his son eagerly greeted him. Pa?
Looks like Alfie's going to be birthing soon. Yes, son, the father replied.
I believe she'll be giving birth any day now. You go on in and make sure she's

(01:26):
comfortable and the animals have enough food and drink.
Wash your hands and come in for supper. I'll tell your mother.
Grandpa Muller didn't live to see it, but his farm blossomed into a family of
five with 600 acres of corn, wheat, and a variety of produce grown and brought to market.
Cattle, sheep, and chickens sustained them and brought a character to the land

(01:49):
in their lively animation Decades-old fruit trees, a kitchen garden,
sunken spring house, and working farm dogs completed their life here in the Golden Valley.
The family had three working dogs. Dash, a Shetland sheepdog and a master of
his breed, is lean and wiry with dappled fur that shimmered in the sunlight against his blue eyes.

(02:12):
Trained from birth to be a herding dog, Dash knew every animal on the farm by name and by scent.
He could herd them with the precision of a locomotive on time.
Whether navigating the treacherous terrain of the hills or dodging obstacles
in the pasture, he is always one step ahead.
His sharp eyesight scanned the herds of cows, sheep, and goats with a focused intensity.

(02:35):
His keen senses could detect the slightest hint of trouble.
Dash worked directly with Mr. Muller, who communicated his needs by whistle,
finger motion, and intuition.
Every day at sunset, Dash rounded up the last of the animals from the field
to the safety of the the night pen.
Once safely inside, Dash collapsed onto the cool grass with his tongue hanging

(02:59):
out the side of a heavily panting mouth.
There was Muscles. A German Doberman Pinscher is the pride of his Swiss homeland
and a favored guard dog in the New World.
Wherever the family and farm animals gathered, Muscles was there as well.
His size and demeanor might have been intimidating, dating, but his eyes and

(03:19):
refined response communicated he was a protector, not a threat.
As part of the family since a young pup, there could be no better guardian possible.
Most mornings, Muscle stayed close to his family, patrolling the perimeter of
the property with intense vigilance looking for unusual items and smells.
He'd trot the edge of the fields, pausing every now and then to sniff something

(03:42):
in the air, review the animals grazing, and gaze over the horizon for signs of the unusual.
At night, he was watching for fox, bear, and the occasional colonial forest
lion that rarely traveled down from the Allegheny Trail.
Then there is Pepe, the most beloved of the three Muller dogs.
He is a Jack Russell terrier. Although small and with limited hunting abilities,

(04:07):
his true expertise lay in bringing joy to the family, especially the three children.
In the field Pepe and the children played their chasing games with ease.
He weaved through their legs, taunting them as they tried to catch him.
When one of them managed to grab him, his small body would wriggle and squirm
in their arms like a fish out of water until they could hold him no more.

(04:30):
The sound of laughter echoed through the fields as he licked their faces.
In this golden valley, where the bounty of the land delivered to those who worked
for it, the Muller family and their dogs coordinated their gifts to provide
a secure and loving place for themselves and the farm animals for which they would depend.