A few days later Maggie was riding Molly when a red car drove up.
Kelly got out and ran over. "Hi," she cried. "Oh, Maggie your horse is
beautiful."
"Yes!" said Maggie. "I can ride her all by myself? Want to try it?"
Kelly's mother hurried over waving her hands. She said, "No, Kelly,
step away from that big horse. We need to get into town. You've seen
the horse, and that's what you wanted."
"But it's fun," said Maggie. "Come on."
"No, that's all right," said Kelly. "We do have to get going, and
she's awfully big."
Maggie was disappointed. She wanted to share Molly with her friend,
but they left after only a few minutes.
Later that day Dad baled hay. He dropped the bales in the field. "I'll
use the team to get them," he told Maggie. "You can drive the wagon."
"Oh boy," said Maggie.
Dad harnessed the team and they set off. When they reached the first
three bales, Dad handed Maggie the reins. He loaded the bales and
stayed on the ground to pick up the rest.
"Okay," he said. "Bring the wagon."
"Get up," said Maggie slapping the reins against the horses' rumps the
way Dad had done. The team followed Dad to the next group of bales.
Maggie felt important to be driving these big horses. Dad loaded all
the bales on the wagon and they started home.
Dad drove, and the horses strolled along. He said, "Come on, Girls. We
don't have all day." The horses walked slightly faster.
"Maybe they're tired," said Maggie. Then something in the cornfield on
the right caught her eye. It was black and white, and the corn was
moving.
"Dad," she yelped, "the cows are in the corn."
Polly rolled her eyes at the cornfield and leaped to the left. She
dragged Molly along and started to run. Maggie and her dad were thrown
back against the hay as the wagon picked up speed. They had a runaway!
[Illustration]
Bales flew off the wagon as it bounced over rocks. The wagon tipped
and almost turned over, but Dad managed to steer a little. The wagon
rocked back onto all its wheels. Maggie hung on for dear life.
Soon the team got to the barn, and they stopped. Dad jumped down to
grab Molly's bridle. "Darned crazy animals," he fumed. "I've got cows
in the corn, hay bales all over, and these horses to unharness. Get
your mom."
Maggie jumped off the wagon and ran toward the house.
"Bring Corky, too," Dad called after her.
Soon all three Johnsons entered the cornfield carrying clubs.
"Be careful," said Dad. "There's nothing crazier than cows in a
cornfield. It tastes so good to them that they go a little nuts."
"Yes," said Mom. "We need to stick together."
They started through the corn, each taking a row next to the other.
The cows were hard to see because the corn was so tall. They yelled,
and Corky barked.
Maggie saw two cows just ahead chewing the corn. "Get out of here,"
she yelled, waving her club.
The cows danced away like naughty children and tried to get behind the
Johnsons. Maggie ran to head them off. She saw more cows. The Johnsons
ran and yelled and waved their clubs until they were exhausted.
Finally the cows were all back in the barnyard. "Whew," said Mom,
hanging on the fence while she panted. "Life is never dull around
here."
"Nope," said Dad. "The cows ruined some of our corn crop too. We lost
money out there."
"I'm glad the cows don't act like that all the time," said Maggie.
* * * * *
The more Maggie rode Molly, the better she liked the big horse, but
now Dad was too busy to help her get on. Maggie wished she could just
jump on the way Dad did.
One day Maggie went to the pasture to visit the horses, and they were
lying on their sides snoring. "Hello!" Maggie said loudly.
The horses jerked to attention and started to get up. But when they
saw it was only Maggie, they relaxed. Molly's back was now even with
Maggie's waist. It was the perfect chance. Should she crawl on?
Maggie hesitated. What if Molly jumped up and ran? Even Dad had fallen
off when that happened. With no bridle, Maggie wouldn't be able to
steer the horse. It might be dangerous.
But this was such a perfect chance, that Maggie put her leg over
Molly's back. She grabbed a bunch of mane and held her breath.
Molly just yawned, and gradually Maggie relaxed. She loved the feel of
the horse under her. First she pretended she was herding cows. Then
she was riding in the Kentucky Derby. Finally Maggie lay back on
Molly's soft wide back and studied the clouds.
Suddenly Maggie heard barking. Molly heard it, too, and her front end
shot up. A surprised Maggie slid right off the horse's rump. Then she
was looking up at two back legs and a white tail.
Corky ran up barking, and Molly quickly swung around to get between
the dog and Maggie.
"Corky, be quiet," Maggie ordered. She got up and went to Molly's
head. "Good girl," she said. "You wanted to protect me, didn't you? I
like that."
Molly nuzzled Maggie's pockets, but gave up when she didn't find a
treat.