Prince and Rover of Cloverfield Farm Part 8

They both heard him whistle.

Daisy came running toward him, and he opened the stable door and put her in.

But Prince did not come.

Instead, he turned and ran to the other end of the field.

"I shall not go into the stable tonight," thought Prince. "I shall stay here always."

"He acts as frisky as a young colt," said father. "I shall have to put a halter on and lead him."

So he took the halter from its peg near the stable door, and walked toward Prince.

Farmer Hill had almost reached Prince, who had been standing quite still, when suddenly Prince kicked up his heels, gave his mane a toss and was off like the wind.

"Whoa, Prince," said Farmer Hill.

Prince did not stop until he reached the other end of the field near the barn.

Farmer Hill came back toward him, and once more Prince stood still until he was almost there and then bounded off.

"It is like a game of tag," said Bobby, who had been watching by the bars. "You never can catch him, father."

"I will fool him," said father. "I shall catch him then."

"How will you do it?" asked Bobby.

"Just watch, Bobby, and you will see," said father.

Father got a measure of oats from the granary and walked toward Prince, holding it out to him.

When Prince saw the measure of oats, he wanted some to eat.

After a while he started to walk up to the measure. Then he stopped.

"I will not go near him," thought Prince. "I will stay out in the pasture."

But the more he thought about the oats, the more he wanted them. After a while a bright idea came to him.

"I will go and take one bite," thought Prince, "and then I will run away quickly."

So he walked slowly up to Farmer Hill.

Farmer Hill let him put his head into the measure.

Prince took one bite. That tasted so good that he took another and another until the oats were all eaten. While he was eating, Farmer Hill slipped the halter around his neck.

Then he tried to get away, but the halter held him tight.

"I have you now," said Farmer Hill. "You must come into the stable."

As father led him to the stable, Bobby said, "Prince was naughty that time, wasn't he, father?"

"Yes," said father, "he led me a merry chase, but I cannot blame him much. Who would not rather be outdoors on a day like this than in the finest stable, or house either?"

"I think Prince was sensible," said Bobby.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROVER DOES SOME MISCHIEF]

XI

Cloverfield Farmhouse had a new looking gla.s.s. It was a very large looking gla.s.s, reaching to the ceiling and almost down to the floor. It was in the parlor between the front windows. On the little shelf under it were two beautiful vases.

Rover was not allowed in the parlor except once in a while. One Sunday John let him come in and lie in the corner.

After a while all the people went out of the parlor. Rover was there alone fast asleep. When he wakened, he looked all around the room.

Then he got up and walked around to find a door.

There between the front windows was surely a door into another room.

Rover saw himself in the looking gla.s.s, but thought it was another dog coming toward him into the parlor.

He began to bark at the other dog. But the other dog did not go away.

He even barked at Rover.

Rover went nearer and the other dog came nearer too.

Then Rover barked louder and showed his sharp white teeth. The other dog showed his sharp white teeth too, but did not go away.

Rover barked and barked, which meant, "You must get right out of this house." Then he ran at the other dog very fast.

He ran so fast that he b.u.mped his head hard on the looking gla.s.s. He knocked over one of the pretty vases and broke it into a hundred pieces.

Mother and Sue heard the crash. Father and John heard the crash. They all came running into the parlor.

There, among the broken pieces of the vase, was Rover still looking savagely at the dog in the looking gla.s.s.

John pulled him away from the gla.s.s. Mother said, "Bad dog, bad dog!"

Sister Sue scolded him and opened the door and put him outdoors.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Rover looked savagely at the dog in the looking gla.s.s"]

"Rover was fooled that time," said father.