Down on Cloverfield Farm the afternoon sun was sinking toward the West.

The swallows were coming home to their nests in the barn and a gentle breeze was starting the windmill.

Farmer Hill looked at his watch; then he went to the bars at the head of the long lane and began putting them down.

Rover, seeing this, came running up to him. "Yes, Rover," said Farmer Hill, "it is time to go for the cows."

Down the long lane trotted Rover, past the apple orchard, past the clover field, past the field of wheat stubble, to the thirteen-acre lot.

In the farthest corner of the field, with her feet in the cool water of the pond, was the Big Red Cow. Near-by, under the elm trees, were all the other cows lying on the grass.

Straight to the Big Red Cow ran Rover and barked. The cow knew what that meant. It said, "You must go home to the barn." So she started toward the lane.

Then all the other cows followed.

Rover came trotting along behind, barking sometimes if they tried to turn back.

So they all went up the long, long lane toward the old red barn—the Big Red Cow, the White Cow, the Black Cow, the two Speckled Cows and the Little Red Cow.

Past the field of wheat stubble, past the clover field, and along the orchard fence, they went.

As they came near the harvest apple tree, the Big Red Cow smelled the apples. Now next to fresh green corn, cows like apples better than anything else. So the Big Red Cow tried to jump over the rail fence, to get some apples.

She might have gotten over; but Rover ran up to her and barked and snapped at her heels with his sharp teeth, until she started on again.

So all the cows went up the lane and through the bars into the barn-yard. They drank the cool water in the watering trough and then went into their stalls in the stable.

Farmer Hill turned to Rover and said, "Good dog, good dog!"

Rover wagged his tail very hard. He liked to bring the cows from pasture.

Then he went to the windmill to wait till the children should come with their tin cups to drink the nice warm milk at milking time.