Twinkleheels was feeling quite important. Something that Farmer Green
had said to Johnnie in his hearing made him hold his head higher than he
usually did--and step higher, too.
"You seem very proud to-day," the old horse Ebenezer said to him. "When
Johnnie Green led you back from the watering trough I noticed that you
were strutting in quite a lordly fashion. You made me think of Turkey
Proudfoot."
"Ah!" Twinkleheels exclaimed. "I've just heard some news. I'm going to
the blacksmith's to-day to be shod. You know I've never worn any shoes.
And I've always wanted some."
Old Ebenezer smiled down at Twinkleheels.
"Well, well!" he said. "I don't blame you for feeling a bit proud. I
remember the day I got my first set of shoes. You see, I was young once
myself."
The old horse seemed to feel like talking. Twinkleheels was glad of
that, for he felt that he _must_ chatter about the new shoes he was
going to have--or burst.
"Of course," said Twinkleheels, "most folks are shod before they're as
old as I am. But I've spent a good deal of my time in the pasture and I
don't often travel over hard roads.... How old were you when you first
visited the blacksmith's shop?"
Ebenezer shut his eyes for a moment or two. And Twinkleheels feared he
was going to sleep. But he was only thinking hard.
"I must have been about two months old," Ebenezer declared.
"Goodness!" cried Twinkleheels. "I didn't suppose colts of that age ever
wore shoes."
"They don't," Ebenezer replied. "You didn't ask me when I had my first
shoes. You asked me when I first visited a smithy. At the age of two
months I jogged alongside my mother when she went to be shod. I must
have been about three years old when the blacksmith nailed my first
shoes to my feet."
Twinkleheels gave Ebenezer an uneasy glance.
"Does it hurt," he asked, "when they drive the nails into your hoofs?"
"Oh, no!" Ebenezer assured him. "To be sure, a careless blacksmith could
prick you. But Farmer Green always takes us to the best one he can
find."
"To tell the truth," Twinkleheels confessed, "I'm a bit timid about
going to the smithy. I don't know what to do when I get there. I don't
know which foot to hold up first."
"Don't worry about that!" said old Ebenezer. "They'll tell you
everything. Just pay attention and obey orders and you won't have any
trouble."
Twinkleheels thanked Ebenezer.
"It's pleasant," he said, "to have a kind, wise horse like you in the
next stall. There are some matters that I shouldn't care to mention to
the bays. They're almost sure to laugh at me if I ask them a question."
The old horse Ebenezer nodded his head.
"They're young and somewhat flighty," he admitted. "You know, they even
ran away last summer. You'll be better off! if you don't seek their
advice about things."
"I wish you were going to the blacksmith's shop with me," Twinkleheels
told Ebenezer wistfully. "Somehow I'd feel better about being shod if
you were there."
"I shouldn't be surprised if I went along with you," Ebenezer told him.
"I cast a shoe yesterday. And the three that I have left are well worn."
And sure enough! Inside a half hour Farmer Green harnessed Ebenezer to
an open buggy. Johnnie Green brought Twinkleheels out of the barn by his
halter, led him up behind the buggy, and jumped in and sat beside his
father.
Then they started off.
"We're going to the village to get some new shoes," Twinkleheels called
to old dog Spot. "Why don't you come, too?"
"I would," Spot barked, "but I always follow right behind the buggy; and
you've gone and taken my place."