“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!” the Farmer cried.
“Very well. I’ll prove to you that I’m right. We’ll ask the first person we meet.”
The first person they met was an old Horse. They put their case to him.
“The Bear is right,” the old Horse said. “Look at me: For thirty years I gave my master faithful service and just this morning I heard him say: ‘It’s time we killed that old plug! He’s no good for work any more and he’s only eating his head off!’”
The Bear squinted his little eyes.
“You see!”
“No, I don’t see!” the Farmer insisted. “We must ask some one else.”
They walked on a little farther until they met an old Dog. They put their case to him and at once the Dog said:
“The Bear is right! Look at me: I gave my master a life time of faithful service and just this morning I overheard him say: ‘It’s time we killed that old Dog!’ Alas, alas, in this wicked world goodness is always so rewarded!”
But still the Farmer was unsatisfied and to humor him Osmo said that he was willing that they should put their case once more to the judgment of an outsider.