trot up to her and rub their noses on her shoulder. She often gave them
lumps of sugar, or other dainties that horses like. No matter how wild
or shy they were with others, Jenny could always catch them easily.

"Of all the horses in her father's pasture, Jenny loved best a beautiful
swift-footed mare called Fanny. Sometimes she would ride about the country
on Fanny's back. But as gentle as the mare was with Jenny, she was afraid
of Jake and would not let him catch her in the pasture.

"'It would be much better,' Jenny would often say to her brother, 'if
you would not treat the animals so roughly. See how easily I can handle
Fanny--just because I am always gentle with her.'

"'Oh,' Jake would answer with a laugh, 'that is all right for a woman,
Jenny; but a man, you know, must show his authority.'

"Very early one morning, Jake's father came into his room. 'Jake,' he
said, shaking the boy, 'wake up, son! Mother was taken very ill in the
night. Catch Fanny and go for the doctor as quickly as you can.'

"The hired man was sleeping in the next room, and he heard what Jake's
father said. He also got up and dressed, and hurried out to the pasture
to help Jake catch the mare.

"The two were gone quite a while. At last they came back to the house,
and Jake said, 'I can't catch Fanny, Father. She has jumped the ditch a
dozen times. What shall I do?'

"'Try again,' said his father. 'I can't leave Mother long enough to go
to the pasture; and she must have help soon.'