<h2 ><SPAN name="Cow" id="Cow">XVIII</SPAN></h2><h3>THE MULEY COW</h3>
<p>Nimble Deer was a famous jumper. And
so was the Muley Cow. In Farmer
Green's herd there was no other that could
match her.</p>
<p>Living as he did in the pasture, Billy
Woodchuck had often seen and admired
the Muley Cow as she jumped the fence
in order to get into the clover patch, or
the cornfield, or the orchard.</p>
<p>And Jimmy Rabbit, who lived in the
woods, had come to believe—and even
boast—that there wasn't anyone that
could jump higher than Nimble Deer.</p>
<p>So Billy Woodchuck and Jimmy Rabbit
could never agree upon this question of<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</SPAN></span>
the best jumper in Pleasant Valley. And
there was only one way to settle their difference
of opinion. Old Mr. Crow told
them that.</p>
<p>"You must have a contest," he declared.</p>
<p>And everybody was willing. The Muley
Cow said (when asked) that she would be
delighted. And when Nimble Deer heard
of the plan he ran all the way to the back
pasture at once. For that was where Mr.
Crow said the contest ought to take place.</p>
<p>Nimble reached the back pasture just in
time to see the Muley Cow arrive there.
She leaped the fence. And at the same
time she grazed the top rail.</p>
<p>"Good morning, madam!" Nimble said
to the Muley Cow. And while she was answering
him Nimble jumped the fence into
the pasture from which the Muley Cow
had come; and then he jumped back again,
into the back pasture. And he didn't<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</SPAN></span>
touch the fence by so much as a single hair.</p>
<p>Then Billy Woodchuck crawled under
the fence and came hurrying up.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" he asked.</p>
<p>"I'm just stretching my legs a bit,"
Nimble explained. At that answer Billy
Woodchuck set up a loud clamor. "It's
not fair!" he howled. "I expected the
Muley Cow to win the contest. But if
you're going to stretch your legs she'll
certainly be beaten unless she stretches
hers too."</p>
<p>Now, old Mr. Crow was on hand to see
the fun. And not being very friendly
with the Muley Cow he didn't want her to
win the contest. So he began to squall.</p>
<p>"She mustn't stretch her legs any more
than Nimble stretches his," he objected in
his hoarse croak. "Nimble jumped the
fence twice to stretch his legs. She has
jumped once already. Let her jump the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</SPAN></span>
fence once more and then they'll be even
and the real contest can begin."</p>
<p>"That's fair enough," said Jimmy
Rabbit. But Billy Woodchuck began to
chatter and scold.</p>
<p>"It's a trick—a trick of Mr. Crow's!"
he cried. "If the Muley Cow jumps once
more to stretch her legs she'll be on the
wrong side of the fence. She won't be in
the back pasture then. And how could she
have the contest with Nimble Deer?"</p>
<p>Old Mr. Crow gave a loud haw-haw.
But he still insisted that the Muley Cow
might have only one more leg-stretching
jump, when Jimmy Rabbit hurried up to
him and said something nobody else could
hear. And Mr. Crow listened and then
nodded his head.</p>
<p>"It's all right," the old gentleman told
Billy Woodchuck. "Let the Muley Cow
stretch her legs all she likes."</p>
<span class="totoc"><SPAN href="#toc">Contents</SPAN></span>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</SPAN></span></p>
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