One cow stands apart from the others. He stands staring into the horizon. His mind made up he turns to face the herd and raises his head proudly. Clearing his throat, he begins to sing, "We have stars directing our fate, and we're praying it's not too late, millennium ..."

Among the herd there is uproar. The cattle stamp their feet and low thunderously in desperate confusion.

As the cow ends his singing he looks out over his kinsfolk and smiles fondly. They might not understand today, but understand they would. And when they did, he, and he alone, would lead them to greatness.

***

Several light years and many aeons away, in the cold dark reaches of the time and space vortex, a TARDIS, in it's default form of a white pillar, rotates silently.

Within, a slim, bearded man dressed in black is watching a small monitor and laughing. He finds it hard to contain his mirth as he watches earth's first intelligent cow sing to his uncomprehending herdsfolk.

Stroking his beard he walks over to the craft's central control console and manipulates several controls. The time rotor begins to rise and fall as the TARDIS is set in motion.

***

A field. A herd of cattle scatter as, with an unearthly groaning, a haystack appears from nowhere.

A door opens, and from the haystack emerges the bearded time traveller.

Only the singing cow remains and the traveller approaches him slowly, a friendly smile filling his lean features.

"Who are you?" asks the cow in a rich, deep voice.

"I, am the Master. A traveller. I have come through time and space especially to offer you my help."

The Master bowed congenially.

The cow looked stunned and began to answer.

"Such wonders are possible? I would have thought such feats only possible in dreams and fantasy."

"All this and more is perfectly possible my curious friend. And it is these which I have come to offer you."

"I can perform such wonders? Travel through time and space?" whispered the cow.

"Yes my friend. My device is called a TARDIS - Time and Relative Dimension in Space. I can give you one, as well as the knowledge to use it."

"How can I ever repay such a kindness?" cried the cow.

"To see you take your rightful place among intelligent creatures is payment enough."

The cow smiled at his benefactor.

***

Several days later the Master and his bovine companion stood together on the surface of a long dead planet. Behind them two white pillars stood humming with life.

The cow now stood upright and was dressed in elegant clothes much like those of the Master, but in place of the high black collar he wore the ruffles of a classic Victorian shirt as well as a black panama hat.

"Well my melodious companion, now you are a Timelord. The time has come for you to set out on your own."

The cow smiled nervously, but composed himself and firmly shook his mentor's hand.

"Thank you. I owe you everything."

"My pleasure. Perhaps someday you can do me a favour ..."

The two Timelords smiled and entered their TARDIS's, dematerialising into the void.

***

And so was born a legend, a Timelord spoken of throughout the universe, a Timelord known only as Doctor Moo.