<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[&#039;Homecoming&#039; Blog]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[sueannbowlingauthor]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com/author/sueannbowlingauthor/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Bargain]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Long ago and far away<br />
We made a bargain,<br />
Your forefathers and ours.<br />
One could find game, sharp-nosed, keen-eared, alert to every breeze.<br />
One had spears to kill in safety.<br />
One too often died beneath defending hooves<br />
One too often found no target for his spears.<br />
So we made the bargain:<br />
One to find and one to kill, and the meat to share.</p>
<p>The years passed, and the bargain changed:<br />
Tend our flocks.<br />
Fight our wars.<br />
Pull our sledges.<br />
Guard our children,<br />
Lead our blind.<br />
Amuse us.<br />
Love us, when all the world has abandoned us.</p>
<p>And on the other side, the same:<br />
Share the food.<br />
Share the fire.<br />
Share our lives.</p>
<p>Wolf that was, how can I break the old bargain now?</p>
<div data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_59" style="width: 164px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg"><img loading="lazy" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-59" data-attachment-id="59" data-permalink="https://homecomingbook.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/the-bargain/dot-sittingweb/" data-orig-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg" data-orig-size="154,216" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="Dot sittingweb" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Dot&lt;/p&gt;
" data-medium-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg?w=154" data-large-file="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg?w=154" class="size-full wp-image-59" title="Dot sittingweb" src="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg?w=154&#038;h=216" alt="" width="154" height="216" srcset="https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg 154w, https://homecomingbook.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/dot-sittingweb.jpg?w=107&amp;h=150 107w" sizes="(max-width: 154px) 100vw, 154px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-59" class="wp-caption-text">Dot</p></div>
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