"May I have a horse to drive to town this afternoon?" asked mother one
noon in summer. "I must take Bobby and Betty to get them some new
shoes."
"Yes," said father. "You may have Prince to-day. He is our safest
horse."
So Sue stayed at home to get supper, while mother and Bobby and Betty
went away in the carriage toward the city.
The city was ten miles away. It was a pleasant drive, past the little
red school house, past farmhouses and orchards and cornfields and
woods.
When about half way there, down the road in front of them there
appeared a big threshing machine, with its engine drawing it along.
"Chug-chug-chug-chug," went the engine. Slowly it came toward them.
"Do you think Prince will be scared?" asked Bobby.
"I hope not," said mother, "but you had better take fast hold of Baby
Betty so she will not tumble off the seat if he jumps."
"Chug-chug-chug-chug," slowly came the engine.
Prince pricked up his ears.
"Whoa, Prince," said Mrs. Hill, "steady, Prince."
"I'm not afraid of that," thought Prince. "I have seen that thing
before. It makes a lot of noise, but it never hurts me."
So he went along steady and easy past the threshing machine.
After a while they came to a railroad crossing.
"I will look down the track and you look up the track," said mother to
Bobby.
"I see a train coming," said Bobby.
"We will wait until it goes past before we try to cross," said mother
"Whoa, Prince."
So Prince stood facing the track.
On came the train, very fast. "Chug, chug, chug," went the engine.
"Toot, toot," went the whistle. "Ding, dong, ding, dong," went the
bell. Soon the train went whizzing past.
Prince did not jump. He just stood still and looked at the train as it
passed. You see, he had seen trains many times before.
When the train had passed, Mrs. Hill drove over the track and on to
town.
After she had bought the new shoes for Bobby and Betty, they started
home again.
Just as they were going down Main Street, along came a parade with a
brass band at its head. "We will stop here and see the parade," said
mother.
When the band came near them it played very loud. The drums were
beating, "rub-a-dub-dub, rub-a-dub." The horns and the fifes and the
flutes and the drums, all made a beautiful big sound.
Prince pricked up his ears.
"I have heard something like that before," thought he. "It never did me
any harm."
So he stood very still as the band went past.
After the parade had gone by, they started toward home.
"Prince seems not to be afraid of anything," said mother.
As they drove along, Bobby was silent for a long time.