Three Bags Full

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story (original German title: Glennkill: Ein Schafskrimi) is a work of detective fiction which features a flock of anthropomorphic Irish sheep out to solve the murder of their shepherd. Written originally in German by Leonie Swann, the novel has been translated in to more than 30 languages.^[1]

Plot

At the beginning of the novel, the sheep belonging to George Glenn awake to find their shepherd dead with a spade in his middle, and resolve to solve his murder. The story is set in the fictional Irish village of Glennkill. Horrified, Miss Maple, the cleverest sheep in the flock, suggests they find the murderer. The others agree, and Miss Maple volunteers to inspect the body.

A little later, a certain Tom O'Malley finds the body and, panicked, runs to fetch the people of Glennkill. This draws not only the townspeople, but several reporters.

Major themes

Largely humorous in character, the novel displays a strong knowledge of sheep behavior, biology, husbandry and breeds (the merino and hebridean are present, among others).^{[2] [3]} Using the perspective of the flock, Swann makes comedic jabs at human character and institutions.^{[4] [5]}

Characters

• George Glenn — the murdered shepherd
• Maude — a ewe with a powerful sense of smell
• Sir Ritchfield — the lead ram of the flock
• Miss Maple — the cleverest sheep in the flock, Glenkill, and possibly the world
• Heather — a lively young sheep
• Cloud — the wooliest sheep in the flock
• Mopple the Whale — a merino ram, the memory sheep of the flock, and the sheep with the largest appetite
• Othello — a black Hebridean ram with four horns, who was rescued by George from a dog-fight years earlier
• Zora — a black–faced ewe with an unusual fascination with abysses
• Rameses — a young ram
• Lane — the quickest sheep in the flock
• Sara — a ewe
• A Lamb — the eyewitness to the murder
• Melmoth — Sir Ritchfield's twin brother, who had once left the herd but returned years later
• Cordelia — a ewe that likes odd words
• Maise — a naive young ewe
• Winter Lamb — a troublemaking lamb
• Willow — the second–most silent sheep in the flock
• Gabriel's Ram — a very strange sheep
• Fosco — a sheep that thinks himself clever
• Ham — Glenkill's butcher and general enemy of sheep

References

External links

• Three Bags Full at Random House's U.S. site