"

"Yes, I think we would better," said Rudolph, glancing toward the
clouds in the west Rudolph prided himself on his ability to forecast
the weather, and was generally able to tell correctly when a shower was
pretty sure to come and when it was likely to "go round."

So Barney was coaxed into a good gait, which he was ready as a rule to
take towards home, and the little ford by way of a farm-lane, and which
saved a good mile on the road home, was soon reached. Barney knew the
place well and, always enjoying it, picked his way carefully to the
middle of the ford, and then he took it into his stubborn little head to
stand stock still, and to plant his four hoofs firmly in the nice soft
mud at the bottom of the stream.

"Go on," urged Tattine; "Go on," urged Mabel, and Rudolph applied his
sapling whip with might and main, but all to no effect. Meantime some
geese from a neighboring farm had come sailing out into the ford, to
have a look at their friends in the crate, and the geese in the crate,
wild to be out on the water with their comrades, craned their long necks
far out between the laths, and set up a tremendous squawking. It was
rather a comical situation, and the children laughed till their sides
ached, but after a while it ceased to be so funny. The clouds were
rolling up blacker, and there was an occasional flash of lightning far
off in the distance, but Barney stood still obdurate and unmoved,
simply revelling in the sensation of the cool water, running down-stream
against his four little donkey-legs. At last Rudolph was at his wits'
end, for what did Tattine and Mabel do but commence to cry. Great drops
of rain were falling now, and they COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT of being
mid-way in that stream with the storm breaking right above their heads,
and when girls, little or big, young or old, cannot bear the thought of
things they cry. It does not always help matters; it frequently makes
them more difficult, but then again sometimes it does help a little, and
this appeared to be one of those things, for when the girls' crying put
Rudolph to his wits' end, he realized that there was just one thing left
to try, and that was to jump overboard and try and pull Barney to land,
since Barney would not pull him. So into the water he jumped, keeping
the reins in his hand, and then, getting a little ahead of Barney, he
began to walk and pull. Now fortunately, there is nothing like the force
of example, which simply means tha