barney’s horse

There were even horses that pulled streetcars.

Barney the peddler rode down the street with his horse and wagon, shouting,

“apples! onions! potatoes!

get your apples, onions, potatoes, right over here”.

ladies came out of their houses to buy from him.

he swished his tail to chase away the flies.

children petted him.

they fed him sugar cubes.

“that’s good, children.

always be kind to animals,”

said barney the peddler.

barney let them sit on his horse’s back.

he let them ride on the wagon around the block.

then barney would ride off to another street.

“good-bay, children,” called barney.

” I will see you tomorrow”.

one day men came with picks and shovels.

they started to dig.

“soon people will be riding on trains over our heads”,

said officer Muldoon.

“a city has to grow,”

said barney the peddler, and he petted his horse.

all day barney sold fruits and vegetables all over town.

when it got late,

people heard clippety-clop clippety-clop

as barney headed back to the stable.

he went to sleep next to his horse.

It was the day the trains started running.

men with pushcarts stared up at them.

SCREECH! SCREECH!

went the wheels on the tracks.

the ground shook.

“runaway horse! runaway horse!”

someone shouted.

“whoa! wait for me!”

shouted barney.

but barney’s horse ran faster and faster.

children tried to catch him.

but barney’s horse was too fast for them.

officer Muldoon stepped off the curb and waved his arms.

“whoa, old feller, whoa,”

he said softly.

“nobody wants to hurt you.”

barney’s horse came to a halt.

he let the policeman hold him and pet him until barney caught

up with them.

“I guess your horse will have to get used to the trains.”

said officer Muldoon.

barney petted his horse.

he gave him a big juicy apple.

the city grew and grew.

more and more trains ran.

the ground shook under them.

but barney’s horse did not seem to mind.

he never ran away again….

well, almost never.

he knew barney needed him.