Helen Fuller Orton

“ When the dinner bell rang, Bobby said, "Let me ride Prince up to the barn."
"You might fall off," said Hobson. "I think I had better not let you."
"I can hang on," said Bobby. "Father lets me ride sometimes."
Hobson thought a moment. "All right; if you'll be careful, I'll let you ride this time," he said.
He let Daisy go on ahead, and then lifted Bobby to Prince's back with the big, clumsy work harness still on.
"Hold on tight and go slow," said he, as he gave Bobby the check rein.
Through the gap into the lane went Daisy, up the lane toward the barn. Prince and Bobby followed. ”

“ Rover and Bobby's big brother John were driving them. Hobson, the hired man, went ahead.
"Where are you taking the sheep?" asked Bobby. "Have you sold them?"
"Come and you shall see," answered Father. "Do you want to ride with me in the buggy, or help drive the sheep?"
"I'd like to help," said Bobby. [Pg 30]
"Well, here is a long stick for you," said Father.
Bobby was off like the wind and soon caught up with the others.
The leader of the flock, the big bell wether, went ahead. All the other sheep followed. Sometimes they tried to stop and eat grass by the roadside. ”

“ There was only one man in the village who kept window glass—Mr. Barlow, the carpenter. As fast as he could run, Bobby ran to the village, and as he ran, he kept thinking, "Will he be at home? Will he have a big glass?" ”

“ Across from him, John sat reading a book. Sue was softly playing on the piano.
Mother stopped a moment in the doorway to enjoy the scene. [Pg 122]
"Winter time or Summer time, home is best," she thought.
Then she took her place in the easy chair which John had drawn up for her near the lamp, and opened her book to read.
Upstairs, Bobby lay awake for some time, listening to the wind and rain.
Then he fell asleep and dreamed that he was in the hayfield playing with Rover; and the sound he heard was not the storm but the hum of the mower cutting the clover. ”

“ Then he and Rover, the Big Shepherd Dog, went across the field to the snowdrifts in the fence corners. Bobby slid down a huge snowbank, which gave his sled such a start that he went skimming over the field on the hard snow. Eight long slides he took there.
In the afternoon, he went skating on the Duck Pond. It was shiny and smooth and beautiful for skating. Twenty times across the pond he went.
When he went into the house, Mother said, "Well, Bobby, you have had a busy day."
"I've had lots of fun," said Bobby. "I shall go sliding and skating every day all Winter." ”

“ When they were part way home, they met another flock of sheep coming down the road.
"Drive ours up next to the fence," said Farmer Hill, "so they will not [Pg 37] get mixed with that flock."
So they were driven up by the fence and kept there until the other flock had passed on their way to be washed.
Bobby rode with Father in the buggy the rest of the way.
"How do they get the wool off the sheep?" he asked.
"That," said Father, "will be something more for you to see, another time. You won't have to wait many days."
Bobby had a great story to tell Mother and Sue that night. ”

“ How ugly the Big Window looked now, with the big, jagged hole in it and the glass cracked in all directions. He felt the chill November air coming in through the broken pane.
"It will never do," thought he. "I must get a new pane put in right away." ”

“ Bobby climbed into the buggy and reached under the seat and began to pull something out.
"Why, it looks just like the tail to my kite," said he. [Pg 19]
"Why, it is my kite," he shouted, as he saw his name on the cross-piece. "Where did you get it?"
Father told him.
"I'll tie the string together and fly it again," said Bobby.
"You had better get some stronger cord," said Father. "I might not happen to find it if it flew away again."
Bobby rode to the village when John went to the blacksmith shop. He went to Mr. Brown's store and bought a ball of strong cord. ”

“ The men stopped work and put the horses in the barn, so they would not get wet. The hens and chickens went under the shed. The cows in the pasture went under the big trees.
It was not long before the lightning [Pg 88] flashed and the thunder crashed and the rain came down.
They all went to the Big South Window to watch the storm—Father, Mother, John, Sue, Bobby and Betty.
"I like to watch a storm," said Bobby.
"It is a good sight," said Father. "Now the corn and potatoes will grow and the fruit will stay on the trees." ”

“ A few days after the sheep had been washed at the creek, a strange man named Mr. Price came to Cloverfield Farm one morning.
"If you want to see something interesting," said Father to Bobby, "you may come along with us."
They all went down to the Old Red Barn, and Bobby noticed that the flock of sheep had been driven into the basement.
On the basement floor, near the gate which shut the sheep in their pen, they [Pg 39] put down a platform of boards, about six feet square. ”

“ Bobby stopped. For a few moments he stood and watched her. Then he set the two basins down on the ground and went over to the rabbit-pen. [Pg 71]
"I'll be back in a minute," he said to himself. "It won't hurt the chickens to wait a little while for their breakfast."
Bunny was so interesting with her long ears and her wiggly nose, that Bobby stayed fifteen minutes, watching her. By that time, he had forgotten all about Old Speckle and the chickens.
Next he went to a corner of the rail fence to see whether there were any more eggs in the robin's nest. He found four blue eggs. ”

“ The sheep were dreadfully frightened. Some ran up the road and some ran down the road.
Rover ran at the big, black dog and drove him back into his yard. Then [Pg 31] he and John and Hobson and Bobby brought the frightened sheep together again and started them down the road.
"I wonder where we are taking the sheep," thought Bobby.
About ten o'clock, they came to a creek with a bridge over it. Across the bridge they drove the sheep. On the other side, Hobson stopped them and drove them to one side of the road. Farmer Hill tied Prince to the fence. ”

“ The proudest creature on Cloverfield Farm was Red Top, the big rooster.
He was called Red Top because of his beautiful, big red comb.
Red Top was proud of his big red comb. He was proud of his glossy reddish-brown feathers. He was proud of his crow.
"Just hear those silly hens," he would say. "All they can do is to cackle. But listen to my beautiful song. Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo! Was there ever a grander [Pg 47] sound?" ”

“ When he told her about getting on the raft she looked surprised. When he told her what Rover did, she turned and patted Rover's neck and said, "Good dog, good dog!"
"Of course, you will have to go to bed while your clothes get dry," she said to Bobby.
"Can't I put on one of my clean suits?" he asked.
"No," said Mother. "When boys get on rafts and fall into the water, [Pg 96] they always go to bed while their clothes dry." ”

“ Martin's new house this morning. He is going to have two windows just the size of yours. If they are not [Pg 115] yet put in, I think Mr. Martin will let me take one for you and get him another next week."
Bobby and the carpenter went over to Mr. Martin's house. They found that one of the big panes had already been put in, and the man was just going to start on the other.
"Wait a minute," said Mr. Barlow. "We may not want that one put in to-day."
Then he said to Mr. Martin, "Will you let me put that big pane into Mr. Hill's window? I'll get another one for you on Monday." ”

“ When he had finished and the fleece lay flat on the platform, very white and clean, Mr. Price let the sheep get up and run out in the barn-yard.
"Ba-a-a—, Ba-a-a!" went the sheep, as she ran out, looking very small and feeling very strange with her heavy [Pg 41] coat of wool gone.
Farmer Hill gathered up the wool and carried it to another part of the basement, while John and Mr. Price brought out the next sheep.
When Mr. Price had sheared four sheep, he said, "You might as well bring the big wether next."
"You must lose your wool, Mr. Bell Wether," said Bobby. "We need it to make our clothes." ”

“ The raft began to tip and the first thing Bobby knew, he went head first into the water.
Down he went, to the bottom of the pond.
When he came up, he was lucky enough to be near the raft, and he grabbed the edge of it.
"Help! help!" he shouted. He tried to climb up on the raft but could not do it.
No one heard him shout, except the ducks that were swimming not far off. They said, "Quack, quack, quack!" but they could not help him.
Rover, over on the bank, was dozing in the sun. The first time Bobby called, Rover wiggled his ears but went [Pg 93] on dozing.
Bobby shouted again, "Help! help!" ”

“ One would think that the Old Brown Hen would not have needed to scratch any more. But it takes a great deal to feed thirteen hungry, growing chicks.
So she kept hunting for other places to scratch; and it was not long before she found Bobby's onion bed. ”

“ Now along the sides of the lane, there were thistle patches; and in one place near the head of the lane, there was a low stone pile with thistles growing up between the stones.
Bobby always kept away from thistle patches when he was barefoot.
They had gotten almost to the head of the lane, when Prince began to trot faster. Bobby bounded up and down higher than ever, his bare feet hitting [Pg 102] the horse's sides at every step. ”

“ Go and stand near it, Bobby, and I'll turn out for it."
Bobby hunted around until he found it in the clover. Then he took his stand beside it.
Father clucked to the horses. "Get-up, Prince! Get-up, Daisy!" he said. When he came near Bobby, he turned out and passed a few feet away, leaving the nest all safe.
Bobby stood there until Father went around the field and came back again, so that the wheels of the mower would not run over the nest or the horses step on it when passing on the other side.
"Are there any more nests in the [Pg 60] field?" asked Father. ”

“ Sue tied a blue ribbon on Rover's collar, and Mother gave him a plate of cold roast beef with potatoes and gravy.
[Pg 97]
XIII
Of all the horses on Cloverfield Farm, Prince was the one the children liked best.
Prince would take a lump of sugar from Bobby's hand and not bite him. He would let Bobby and Betty come near and not kick them.
Sometimes Bobby rode on Prince's back, very slowly, with Father walking along beside.
"When shall I be allowed to go trotting down the road all alone, like John and Sue?" asked Bobby. [Pg 98]
"Not until you are older," answered Father. ”

“ And she made the cloth into clothes for her children to wear."
"I wish Mother would spin yarn and make clothes," said Bobby.
"We find it cheaper to sell the wool and buy our clothes," said Father.
"And perhaps Mother has enough to do," said Bobby.
Then they went back to get another [Pg 45] fleece.
When the sheep were all sheared, Rover drove them down the long lane to their pasture. ”

“ So John helped hold him, while Mr. Price sheared him.
Old Bell Wether was a wise old sheep. He knew he could not get away from two men. Besides, he was not sorry to lose the heavy coat which made him so warm in the hot Spring days. [Pg 42]
Perhaps he knew that when a sheep squirms and kicks, the shearer may cut off a bit of the skin instead of just taking the wool.
At any rate, he lay very quiet until he was all sheared, and they let him run out into the yard.
"Oh, Father, Old Bell Wether didn't make a single bunt," shouted Bobby, bounding off to the place where Mr. ”