Rudyard Kipling's collection of short stories is titled The Day's Work.
The Day's Work does not contain any poetry in between the several
stories, unlike many of Kipling's previous collections. The general
subject is one of labour and struggle, whether it is constructing a
bridge, combating a famine, or watching horses give it their all to win
a polo match. However, the literary style is frequently lighthearted, if
not outright impish. He enjoys mimicking accents or making up
conversations between horses, ponies, and even trains. On the farm,
salting time is on a Sunday afternoon, and we take care of the animals
as usual. The red oxen, Dave and Pete, are attended to first; they
remain in the home meadow in preparation for labour on Monday. The cows
follow, followed by Pan the calf, who survived due to his demeanour. The
horses, which are dispersed throughout the Back Pasture's 70 acres, come
last. Last month, the Dimbula, a brand-new steamer, docked in the High
and Narrow Seas with cargo intended for New York. Since the days of
Lieutenant-Fireworker Humphrey Chinn of the Bombay European Regiment,
who aided with the conquest of Seringapatam in 1799, there has always
been at least one representative of the Devonshire Chinns in or close to
India.
