And the watch dog, who was tied up outside his kennel—he jumped and pranced and tried to get loose because he wanted to find out what all that whistling meant!
And they all came rushing down to the gate, except the dog, and when they saw Charlie with the parcel and the letters—my goodness, they were surprised!
The farmer said, “Well, well, to think that we have a postman just the same as they have in the city—well! well!” and he shook hands with Charlie.
Then the farmer’s wife said, “Mr. Stage Driver, couldn’t you wait a minute while I run into the house and get a doughnut apiece for you and the postman?” The stage driver thought that would be very nice—so the farmer’s wife brought the doughnuts and they were delicious.
Charlie blew a tremendous blast
Then they said, “Good-by” to the nice farmer and his wife and thanked her for the delicious doughnuts, and off they went to the next farm. Charlie blew his whistle, and he blew his whistle every single time they came to a farm, but nobody else came to the gate to see what was the matter; so Charlie put the letters in the box every time.
Soon they came to a long stretch of road where there were no houses at all, and Charlie and the stage driver could talk together without being interrupted every minute by Charlie having to deliver letters.
Charlie told the stage driver all about the city and about his Mother and his Auntie and his Daddy, and about Jane and Topsy and Bingo, and about the iceman and the postman, and the letter boxes that are at the corner of the streets where you mail your letters.
Then the stage driver told Charlie all about the country and what an important person the stage driver is when he lives in the country—even more important than the postman. For the stage driver not only brings letters, and parcels for birthdays or Christmas, he brings everything that the people in the country need—clothes, and furniture, and medicine—every single thing that they use, except what they grow themselves.