Part 22 (2/2)

”Greetings,” lowed the ox, slowly turning his large gentle eyes on the excited horse. ”Why such haste, my brother?” The horse tossed his mane.

”I'm in a hurry,” he snorted, ”because I'm made to go fast. Why, I can go ten miles while you crawl one! The world has no more use for a great white snail like you. But if you want speed, I'm just what you need.

Watch how fast I go!” and clopperty, clopperty he was off down the road.

As the ox watched the horse disappear he thought of what he had heard.

”He called me a great white snail! He said he could go ten miles while I crawled one! Surely this swift horse is more wonderful than I!”

Now as the horse went frisking along this is what he thought. ”I am pleased with myself. I am sleek, I am swift--swifter than the ox. What would the world do without me?”

Just then he heard a strange humming overhead. He glanced up. The sound came from a wire taut and vibrating. Then he heard fast turning wheels coming ”Kathump, kathump.” And what do you think that poor frightened horse saw coming along the road? A self-moving car with a trolley overhead touching the singing wire! His eyes stuck out of his head and his mane stood on end he was so scared. What made it go, he wondered.

”h.e.l.lo, clodhopper,” shrieked the electric car. ”I didn't know there were any of you four-footed curiosities left. Surely the world has no more use for you. Where you go in half a day, I go in an hour; where you carry one man, I carry ten. If you want speed I'm just what you need.

Just watch me!” He was gone leaving only the humming wire overhead. The poor horse thought of what he had heard.

”He called me a clodhopper! He said he could go in an hour where I take half a day! Surely this swift car is more wonderful than I!”

Now the trolley went swinging on his way thinking, ”I am pleased with myself. My power is the same as the lightning that rips the sky. I am swift,--swifter than the ox--swifter than the horse. What would the world do without me?”

Just then he heard a terrifying noise. It sounded like a mightly monster coughing his life away. ”Chug, a chug a chug a chug, chug.” Then to his horror he saw coming across the green field a gigantic iron creature with black smoke and fiery sparks streaming from a nose on top of his head.

”Well, slowpoke,” screamed the engine as he came near the car. ”Out o'

breath? No wonder. You're not made to go fast like me, for I move by the great power of steam. Look at my monstrous boilers; see my hot fire.

Where you go in half a day, I go in an hour; where you carry one man I carry twenty. If you want speed I'm just what you need! Goodbye. Take your time, slow coach.” And chug, chug, he was off leaving only a trail of dirty smoke behind him. The poor trolley car thought of what he had heard.

”He called me a slowpoke! He said he could go in an hour where I take a half day! Surely this ugly engine is greater than I!”

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Now the engine raced down to the freight depot which was near the great s.h.i.+pping docks. As he waited to be loaded he thought:

”I am pleased with myself. I am swift--swifter than the ox, swifter than the horse, swifter than the electric car. What would the world do without me? I serve everyone, I go everywhere----”

Just here he was interrupted by the deep booming voice of a freight steamer lying alongside the wharf. ”Tooooot” is what the voice said, ”you ridiculous landlubber! You go everywhere? What about the water? Can you go to France and back again? It's only I who can haul the world's goods across the ocean! And even where you _can_ go, you never get trusted if they can possibly trust me, now do you? Did you ever think why men use river steamers instead of you? Did you ever think why men cut the great Panama Ca.n.a.l so that sea could flow into sea? Well, it's simply because they're smart and prefer me to you when they can get me.

You eat too much coal with your speed,--that's what the trouble is with you--you ridiculous landlubber!”

This long speech made the old steamer quite hoa.r.s.e so he cleared his throat with a long ”Toooot” and sank into silence.

”Of course, what he says is true,” thought the engine. ”At the same time it is equally true that _on land_ I _do_ serve everyone, I go everywhere----”

Just here he was interrupted again by a most unexpected noise. It sounded half like a steel giggle, half like a bra.s.s hiccough. It made the engine uneasy. He was sure someone was laughing at him.

Majestically he turned his headlight till it lighted up a funny little automobile who was laughing and laughing and shaking frantically like this and going ”zzzzz.”

”You silly little road beetle,” shouted the great engine, ”what on earth's the matter with you?”

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