“There comes father,” said Rollo.
Jonas looked and saw Rollo's father coming out of the wood, leading a horse. The colt and the horse had been feeding together in the field, and Rollo's father had caught the horse, for he wanted to take a ride. Rollo's father had a little basket in his hand, and when he saw the colt coming towards him, he held it up and called him, “Elky, Elky, Elky, Elky,” for the colt's name was Elkin, though they often called him Elky. Elkin walked slowly up to the basket, and put his nose in it. He found that there were some oats in it; and Rollo's father poured them out on the grass, and then stood by, patting Elky's head and neck while he ate them. Rollo thought his head looked beautifully; he wondered how he could have been afraid of it.
Rollo's father led the horse across the field, through a gate, into a green lane [pg 10]which led along the side of the garden towards the house; and Rollo said he would run round into the lane and meet him. So he jumped off of the stile, and ran up the garden, and Jonas followed him, and went back to his work.
Rollo ran round to meet his father, who was coming up the green lane, leading the horse with a rope round his neck.
“Father,” said Rollo, “could you put me on?”
His father smiled, and lifted Rollo up carefully, and placed him on the horse's back. Then he walked slowly along.
“Father,” said Rollo, “are you going away?”
“Yes,” said he, “I am going to ride away in the wagon.”
“Why did not you catch Elky, and let him draw you?”
“Elky? O, Elky is not old enough to work.”