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“There’s so for you in the woodshed,” Father said

Alht away But Mother said if he did not eat his breakfast he was sick, and must take medicine Then he ate as fast as he could, and she said:

“Don’t take such big mouthfuls”

Mothers always fuss about the way you eat You can hardly eat any way that pleases them

But at last breakfast was over and Alot to the woodshed There was a little calf-yoke! Father had ht It was Almanzo’s very own, and Father said:

“Yes, son, you are old enough now to break the calves”

Alo to school when there were s to do He carried the little yoke to the barn, and Father ith hiht that if he handled the calves perfectly, perhaps Father ht let him help with the colts next year

Star and Bright were in their warm stall in the South Barn Their little red sides were sleek and silky froainst him when he went into the stall, and licked at hiht the to teach the oxen

Fathe

r showed him how to fit the yoke carefully to their soft necks He lass, till the yoke fitted perfectly and the as silky-smooth Then Al calves followed hi, cold, snowy barnyard

Father held up one end of the yoke while Alht’s neck Then Alht’s throat and pushed its ends through the holes h one end of the bow, above the yoke, and it held the bow in place

Bright kept twisting his head and trying to see the strange thing on his neck But Alentle that he stood quietly, and Alave him a piece of carrot

Star heard hiet his share Father pushed hiht, under the other end of the yoke, and Almanzo pushed the other bow up under his throat and fastened it with its bow-pin There, already, he had his little yoke of oxen

Then Father tied a rope around Star’s nubs of horns and Almanzo took the rope He stood in front of the calves and shouted:

“Giddap!”