That plan pleased Twinkleheels. Before Farmer Green could speak he
plunged out of the broken road and wallowed in snow up to his neck. He
was going to show Bright and Broad that he could get to the crossroads
before they did.

"Don't do that!" Farmer Green shouted to Johnnie.

He was too late. The words were scarcely out of his mouth before
Twinkleheels was reaching desperately for a footing. His toes found
nothing firm beneath them--nothing but yielding snow. And his frantic
struggles only made him sink the deeper.

Johnnie Green slid off Twinkleheels' back and tried to help him.

He could do nothing. And he turned a somewhat frightened face to his
father.

"We're stuck!" he faltered. "I can get out; but Twinkleheels can't. Do
you suppose Bright and Broad could pull him out?"

"They could yank twenty of him back on the road," Farmer Green declared.
"But we don't need them. I'll dig the pony out."

Seizing a shovel, Johnnie's father slowly dug his way to Twinkleheels,
who had stopped struggling and was waiting glumly for help. In a few
minutes more he had scrambled out of the ditch and gained the road
again, through the path that Farmer Green made for him.

"Now," said Farmer Green, "don't leave the broken road. This pony's too
small to handle himself in these drifts. I wouldn't try to put even a