sometimes they used to come and play with Miss Jessie and Flora. One
of the girls was as old as Miss Jessie; two of the boys were older, and
there were several little ones. When they came there was plenty of work
for Merrylegs, for nothing pleased them so much as getting on him by
turns and riding him all about the orchard and the home paddock, and
this they would do by the hour together.

One afternoon he had been out with them a long time, and when James
brought him in and put on his halter he said:

"There, you rogue, mind how you behave yourself, or we shall get into
trouble."

"What have you been doing, Merrylegs?" I asked.

"Oh!" said he, tossing his little head, "I have only been giving those
young people a lesson; they did not know when they had had enough, nor
when I had had enough, so I just pitched them off backward; that was the
only thing they could understand."

"What!" said I, "you threw the children off? I thought you did know
better than that! Did you throw Miss Jessie or Miss Flora?"

He looked very much offended, and said:

"Of course not; I would not do such a thing for the best oats that ever
came into the stable; why, I am as careful of our young ladies as the
master could be, and as for the little ones it is I who teach them to
ride. When they seem frightened or a little unsteady on my back I go as
smooth and as quiet as old pussy when she is after a bird; and when they