“No! Really?” exclaimed Nellie, in surprise.
“Yes, we are,” added George. “He can do one trick already—jump over a stick,” and he told how Tinkle had been taught.
“I’d like to see him do that,” said Tommie. “But there’s one trick Dido the bear did that your pony can never do.”
“What is that?” Mabel asked.
“Climb a telegraph pole!” said Tommie with a laugh.
“That’s right,” admitted George. “Tinkle never could do that. But I don’t want him to. To-morrow we are going to teach him a new trick.”
The next day George went out to the stable to ask Patrick what trick it would be best next to teach the pony.
“Let us see if he has forgotten his first trick,” said the coachman. Once more the stick was laid across the boxes and, standing on the other side of it, George held out the sugar. Tinkle jumped over at once, higher than he had ever before gone, for, now that he knew jumping was what his little master wanted, the pony made up his mind to do his very best.
“Yes, he hasn’t forgotten that trick,” said Patrick. “Now we’ll teach him to make a bow.”