- The fate of a struggling young widow causes difficulties for James and Helen's burgeoning romance. Meanwhile, Siegfried has another scheme to whip Tristan into shape, and a visit from Tricki Woo causes chaos in Skeldale House.
- James is near despair as no treatment helps the parasite-infested cow herd of fresh widow Phyllis Dalby, who refuses to 'give up her husband's dream' by selling and start over with son Billy junior. James advises Tristan to 'stand his ground' to earn some recognition from Siegfried, but he chooses to do so concerning the chickens he was ordered to keep, which neither is expert in. 'Uncle James' delegates to the brothers minding spoiled pooch Tricki Woo, who follows them even into the hen-house.—KGF Vissers
- James and Helen are going on what they would consider their first real, normal date. Tristan convinces him that he has to live up to the standard that Hugh had set in Helen's social life, which already places a different tone to James and Helen's relationship. But what overtakes the date is the issue of James' latest case, that of recently widowed Phyllis Dalby and her young family's herd of immature cattle, who have been infected with a potentially deadly parasite through eating the grass in their field. With the field now unusable, the cattle must be kept inside on an expensive diet of hay and cakes, which may not in the end save the herd regardless. It's not so much that James doesn't believe the herd can be saved despite his best efforts, but it's the difference between what James and Helen believe is the best thing for Phyllis, who doesn't consider herself a farmer but rather a farmer's wife, to do. James dealing with Phyllis takes him largely away from Skeldale and the unexpected arrival of Tricki Woo in Mrs. Pumphrey heading to London for the cricket matches expecting him to be under the care of "Uncle Herriot". As such, Tricki is largely left to the care of a reluctant Siegfried. This situation adds some complications at Skeldale as Siegfried, believing who he sees as a largely lackadaisical Tristan with regard to work, despite Tristan not being paid (the reason he didn't accompany his friends to the cricket matches in having no money), means to instill some sense of responsibility with regard to animal welfare by giving him some animals to care for permanently - hens - while not shy to the notion of those animals providing some fresh ingredients for their breakfast table.—Huggo
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