“Yes, he does guide nice,” agreed Jan, for when she pulled on the left cord Nicknack turned that way, and when she pulled on the right cord he went that way.
“Me want to drive de bossy-goat!” insisted Trouble, and they let him pull gently first on one cord and then on the other. He laughed and kicked his heels against the bottom of the cart when he found the goat would turn aside for him.
“Don’t kick too hard, Trouble,” said Ted, as his little brother kept up the drumming with his heels on the cart floor.
“Why not?” asked Jan. “He’s got his old shoes on. It won’t hurt them.”
“No, but it may hurt the cart,” replied Ted. “This bottom isn’t very strong, and it may drop out all of a sudden.”
“If it does, won’t we drop too?” asked Jan.
“Yes. That’s why I don’t want Trouble to kick so hard.”
“But he wants to kick,” said Trouble.
Janet looked over the side of the little wagon to see how far they would have to fall in case the bottom did drop out, but seeing soft grass all around her she concluded they would not be hurt if they did have such an accident. Nevertheless, she held Trouble’s feet so he could not kick.
At first he wiggled, trying to get them loose; and to quiet him Jan reached over and pulled some long dandelion stems. Snipping off the yellow flower, she blew through the hollow stem, making a little noise as though she had blown a tin trumpet.