“No!” said Farmer Green. “He’s too wise to wear out his teeth on anything except food.”
Johnnie Green then slipped in beside Ebenezer and gave him an apple. Out of the corner of his eye, Mistah Mule saw Ebenezer take the gift. And when Ebenezer began to munch the apple, Mistah Mule spoke. “I is waitin’ for a apple,” he remarked. But Johnnie Green went away without giving him any.
“You see!” said Ebenezer to his new neighbor. “If you had behaved yourself, Johnnie would have treated you too.”
“I wouldn’t ’a bit him,” Mistah Mule answered.
“He doesn’t trust you,” Ebenezer retorted. “And I must say that I don’t blame him.”
“It ain’t right,” Mistah Mule complained, “to give a no-account ole hoss like you a apple, and not give one to a valuable young critter like my own self.”
“Valuable!” Ebenezer exclaimed with a slight smile. “I hear that your former owners gave you away to Farmer Green because they couldn’t do anything with you.”
Mistah Mule hung his head. For once he was silent.
IV
CROWDING THE POLE
On the next day after Mistah Mule’s arrival at Farmer Green’s place there followed something that the old horse Ebenezer had been dreading. Farmer Green harnessed Mistah Mule and Ebenezer to a strong wagon.