The horse that went fishing.

On the hill above the lake, the farmer and his horse were plowing. Back and forth across the field they went under the hot summer sun.

The farmer looked at the lake and thought about fishing.

"It will be cool on the lake," he said, "and the fish will be good to eat."

The farmer led the horse to the meadow and then ran to his house.

"I'm going fishing," he said to his wife.

"What about your lunch and your nap?" asked his wife.

"I can eat and nap in the boat," said the farmer.

"What about the sun?" asked his wife.

"My hat has a very wide brim," said the farmer.

"I shall pack your lunch at once," said his wife.

When she was done, the farmer took his lunch and his hat and hurried down the hill to the lake.

The horse watched him go by. The farmer needs my help, he thought. The horse jumped over the fence and galloped down the hill and onto the slippery dock. The horse's hooves slid and he skidded off the end of the dock--SPLASH!

Waves rocked the little rowboat and the farmer fell into the water. He was right. The lake was cool.

The farmer came up spluttering. The boat was gone.

"Who took my boat?" he asked. He looked around and spotted the boat drifting away. In it was the horse.

The farmer blinked his eyes. The horse was still there.

"There is my boat. And there is my horse!" he said. "Come back!"

Sack? thought the horse. Did he say "sack"? He saw the sack of lunch.

The farmer wants me to eat his lunch. How kind of him, thought the horse. He nodded at the farmer to show that he understood and took a big green pickle from the sack.

"Swim!" the farmer shouted.

Brim? thought the horse. Did he say "brim"? He found the big-brimmed hat.

The farmer wants me to wear his hat. How kind of him, thought the horse. He nodded to show that he understood and put on the hat at once.

"No, no, no!" the farmer shouted. He swam back to shore.

The farmer is not fishing, thought the horse. I shall fish for both of us.

He did not have long to wait. Splash! A fine, shiny fish leaped fight out of the water and stared at the horse.

"Well?" asked the horse, sitting up. "Have you never seen a horse before?"

"Not in a rowboat!" said the fish, flopping into the boat and gasping.

"How rude," said the horse. "One fish for the farmer." He placed a net over the fish so it could not jump back into the water. Then he leaned back and shut his eyes.

Splash! Another fine fish leaped out of the water to gape at the horse.

"Have you never seen a horse before?" the horse asked the second fish.

"Not wearing a hat!" said the fish, flopping about in the boat.

"Lie still," said the horse.

He took a bite of the pickle from the farmer's lunch; it made his eyes water. He saw the farmer swimming toward him with a rope. How kind of him, thought the horse. He knows I am tired of fishing.

The farmer tied the rope to the boat, and then he saw the two fish. He blinked his eyes, but the fish were still there. The farmer pulled the boat to shore, led the horse back to the meadow, and took the fish up to the house.

"How wet and cross you look!" said his wife. "Fishing must be hard work. Did you eat your lunch in the boat?" "No," said the farmer, "the horse did."

"The hot sun has made you cross. Did you wear your hat in the boat?" asked his wife.

"No," said the farmer, "the horse did."

"You are cross," said his wife, "but it does not matter. You caught two fine fish for our supper--and do not tell me the horse did."

"But he did," said the farmer, sadly. "What would I do without him?"

His wife gave him a long, long look.

"Sit down and rest," she said. "I shall cook our supper at once." And she did.