And when the Soldiers kept falling over–since they dared not spread their legs and act as if they were alive when any human eyes were watching them–Tad cried impatiently:
“Oh, you’re no good! I’m not going to play with you! I’m going to have some other fun!”
With a sweep of his hand he sent the Soldiers in a heap together. Some fell one way and some another, and the Captain bounced out to the middle of the floor where Tad let him lay.
“I guess I’ll ride on the Rocking Horse!” cried this not-very-good little boy.
“Oh, dear me! now I am in for a time,” thought the White Horse. “This little lad is as rough as the one who used to dig his heels into my sides when he jumped on my back in the store. Oh, there he comes!”
And, surely enough, Tad ran across the room and climbed up on the back of the White Rocking Horse. If the Horse could have had his way he would have turned and galloped out of the room. But he could not do this, and so he just had to stand there and take what came.
“Gid-dap, there! Gid-dap!” cried Tad, banging his heels against the sides of the White Rocking Horse.
Now, as I have told you, when the Horse was made to rock back and forth he traveled along, just as sometimes a rocking chair moves across the room. And the faster Tad made the horse sway to and fro, the more the wooden toy moved along.
“Oh, I’m really having a ride!” cried Tad. “This is fun! Gid-dap, White Rocking Horse!”
Over the room on the soft carpet rocked the Horse, straight toward the Bold Tin Soldier who was lying in the middle of the room. And in a few moments, unless Tad stopped rocking the Horse, he would run over his friend, the Captain.