By and by he met a farmer coming to town with a wagon full of good things; and he said:—
"Farmer! Farmer! I've come to you;
My little gray pony has lost a shoe!
And I want some coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe my pony's feet."
Then the farmer answered the man and said:—
"I've bushels of corn and hay and wheat
Something for you and your pony to eat;
But I've no coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe your pony's feet."
So the farmer drove away and left the man standing in the road, sighing and saying:—
"What shall I do? What shall I do?
My little gray pony has lost a shoe!"
In the farmer's wagon, full of good things, he saw corn, which made him think of the mill; so he hastened there, and called to the dusty miller:—
"Miller! Miller! I've come to you;
My little gray pony has lost a shoe,
And I want some coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe my pony's feet."
The miller came to the door in surprise; and when he heard what was needed, he said:—
"I have wheels that go round and round,
And stones to turn till the grain is ground,
But I've no coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe your pony's feet."