When they were close by his home, Peter said, “I am going in here.”
But the man said—
“No, no, you are going with me;
These are my reins, you cannot get free.”
“They cannot be yours,” said Peter; “a boy with a whistle-pipe gave them to me.”
“Ah, but he got them from me! I am a saddler, and have hundreds of them. And I want some little boys to help me to make more.”
“I don’t want to go,” said Peter.
But he could not loose the reins, and the man pulled him along faster and faster.
“Oh! oh! oh! I should be glad
If these reins I hadn’t had,”