The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-09-14

should try, for if you cannot run fast enough
to get to the edge of the sky in very few
seconds the sunbeam will give away and
YOU will fall to the ground. :
The animals selected the swiftest run
ners among them to go up to the sunbeam.
They were Mr.. Rabbit, Mr.. Wolf, Mr..
Dog and Mr.. Horse; but Mr.. Dog had the
rheumatism SO badly and was so old that
he could not GO None of seemed very
anxious to try, for they were all afraid the
sunbeam might give way and let them fall.
Finally they selected Mr.. Rabbit, as he
was the Hghtest of the lot and could run
as fast as any. So the next morning
Mr.. Rabbit started off very early to get to
tho top of the mountain before the sun
arose. All of the animals expected to see
clouds and to feel the rain commence to fall
at any minute all day, but none fell. At
night they were disappointed, and at length
Mr.. Rabbit came back very tired from his
sky journey.
ri found the plug, he said, 'tand
tried to pull it out but it would not come.
/ pulled and pulled, but it never moved a
bit. Someone who is stronger will have to
try"
They talked all night about Mr.. Rab-
bits journey, and early in the morning
Mr.. Fox started. At night he returned
with the same story that Mr.. Rabbit had
told; he was not strong enough to pull the
plug out. Then Mr.. Wolf said that he
was ten times as large as Mr.. Rabbit and
three times as large as Mr. Fox, so all the
animals felt that he would be the one to
succeed Off he went in the morning.
and everyone expected rain all day, but no
rain fell Then back came Mr.. Wolf at
night, and said that he had moved the
plug little but could not get it out. Then
Judge Bear said that if the plug could be
pulled out at all he would pull it, for he
was the strongest of the animals. He
started off finely, when he had gotten but
a little way up the sunbeam he found he
could not run fast enough to get to the top
before it gave away, 50 he came flying back
in hurry. There was nothing left but
for Mr. Horse to try. He was so heavy
that everyone thought he would break
through the sunbeam but he said he would
do his best. He waited on the mountain
top until the right minute and then jump
ing on the sunbeam, galloped with all his
might He reached the edge of the sky
safely, and ran toward the center. His
hoofs made such noise on the floor of the
sky that all the animals down below said :
'sH ere it thunder ! I'll bet we are going
to have some rain.
Mr.. Horse reached the plug and Selling
it with his teeth, pulled with all his might.
He tugged and jerked, but it would not
move. Mr.. Horse was about to stop when
he thought of the poor animals at home
suffering for water, while the crops and
grass were all dried up, and he was SO
angry that he turned and kicked at the
plug with both feet as hard as he could.
He struck it the very first kick, and it flew
out SO quickly that Mr.. Horse could not
get out from under the plug hole soon
enough, and he got soaking wet from the
rain that poured through 1t rained for a
long time and Mr.. Horse had to get back
to Animal Land on rainbow, as he could
not catch sunbeam at the right time. All
the animals praised him for bringing the
rain, but Mr.. Horse only said
''Oh, pshaw It's lucky that l had
my heavy iron shoes on or could never
have kicked the plug out.
''It is lucky, indeed, said all the ami
mails and the horse shoe has been the very
emblem of good luck ever since.