the new oats already," said one of the
bays to his mate. "I hoped he'd have the decency to decline them when
Johnnie Green offered him a taste."

"Not he!" groaned his mate. "That pony even hinted to Johnnie Green that
he'd like some oats. I saw him hint, out of the corner of my eye."

"Ah!" cried the other bay. "Twinkleheels not only has a mealy nose. He's
mealy-mouthed as well!"

XXI

JUMPING MUD PUDDLES

Johnnie Green had often ridden bareback. Lacking a pony, before
Twinkleheels came to the farm to live, he had ridden the old horse
Ebenezer back and forth between the barn and the pasture, guiding him by
his halter rope.

Ebenezer was a steady old fellow. He never jumped nor shied. He
preferred walking to any other gait. Without a whip Johnnie Green had
hard work to make him trot. It took a great deal of drumming against his
ribs by Johnnie Green's heels to induce him to hurry his steps.

Twinkleheels was different from Ebenezer. He was frisky. Yet Johnnie
sometimes put a bridle on him and rode him without a saddle. Especially
after the circus men came along and pasted posters on the barn Johnnie
Green liked to ride bareback. He had a notion that some day he would
learn to ride standing on Twinkleheels' back.

Farmer Green, however, did not approve of that plan. When Johnnie
mentioned it to him he said "No!" in a most decided fashion. "That pony
would be sure to throw you," he told Johnnie.

"I could try standing on Ebenezer first," Johnnie suggested. "His back
is broader. And he certainly wouldn't object."

Somehow his father didn't care for that scheme either. "We don't want
any broken legs around here," he declared, "nor necks, either. Broken
necks are very slow to mend."

So Johnnie Green had to give up his plan, for the time being. He made up
his mind, however, that when he was grown up he would learn to ride
standing up--and turn somersaults in the air off a horse's back. But now
he knew that he must content himself with less risky sports.

Something happened one day that caused Johnnie to admit to himself the
wisdom of his father's advice. He was riding Twinkleheels along the
road, bareback, after a heavy rain. And the first thing that Johnnie
knew he was sitting almost on Twinkleheels' tail. Instead of splashing
through a big mud puddle, Twinkleheels had taken it into his head to
jump it.

His leap took his rider unawares. Johnnie had slipped to the rear as if
Twinkleheels' back had