IX
MISTAH MULE BEHAVES
Mistah Mule hadn’t been long at Farmer Green’s place before he and Johnnie Green became better acquainted. Johnnie learned that whatever other faults Mistah Mule might have, he didn’t bite. So Johnnie began to bring two apples to the barn—one for the old horse Ebenezer and one for Mistah Mule. Facing backward in his stall, so that his heels could do no one any harm, Mistah Mule used to munch the apples with a very happy look upon his face. He seemed so friendly that Johnnie Green began to tease his father to let him ride Mistah Mule.
At first Farmer Green said, “No!” But Johnnie could see no harm in asking him the same question day after day. Johnnie had sometimes known his father to change his mind. And sure enough! at last Farmer Green said, “Maybe you can ride the mule some day. But I want to ride him first. I want to see if he’s safe for you.”
Then, instead of saying to his father, “Will you please let me ride the mule to-day?” Johnnie began to put this question to him: “Won’t you ride the mule to-day, please?”
It seemed to Johnnie that his father had never been so busy. Farmer Green now had a hundred things to do, not one of which could wait while he saddled Mistah Mule and rode him. But Johnnie teased so much that Farmer Green finally took the time to do what he asked. He rode Mistah Mule up the road and back.
Somewhat to his surprise, Mistah Mule behaved very well.
“He’s a fine saddle animal,” Farmer Green told Johnnie as he jumped down from Mistah Mule’s back. “He may have some tricks that he didn’t try to play on me. Ride him, if you want to. But stay in the meadow. If he should throw you, it wouldn’t hurt you so much to fall on the grass as on the hard road.”
Johnnie Green was already shortening the stirrup-straps. He led Mistah Mule up beside a box, and from that he sprang into the saddle.
“Take good care of our boy!” the old horse Ebenezer warned Mistah Mule. “Don’t you dare to hurt him!”
“I certainly aims to do just exactly what he says,” Mistah Mule replied. And then, as Johnnie drew the bridle-reins tight, Mistah Mule walked away.
“Well, well!” Ebenezer murmured. “Mistah Mule surely is improving. He’s behaving better every day. I almost think I’m going to like him, after all.”