"May I have a horse to drive to town this afternoon?" asked mother one noon in summer. "I must take Bobby and Betty to get them some new shoes."

"Yes," said father. "You may have Prince to-day. He is our safest horse."

So Sue stayed at home to get supper, while mother and Bobby and Betty went away in the carriage toward the city.

The city was ten miles away. It was a pleasant drive, past the little red school house, past farmhouses and orchards and cornfields and woods.

When about half way there, down the road in front of them there appeared a big threshing machine, with its engine drawing it along.

"Chug-chug-chug-chug," went the engine. Slowly it came toward them.

"Do you think Prince will be scared?" asked Bobby.

"I hope not," said mother, "but you had better take fast hold of Baby Betty so she will not tumble off the seat if he jumps."

"Chug-chug-chug-chug," slowly came the engine.

Prince pricked up his ears.

"Whoa, Prince," said Mrs. Hill, "steady, Prince."

"I'm not afraid of that," thought Prince. "I have seen that thing before. It makes a lot of noise, but it never hurts me."

So he went along steady and easy past the threshing machine.

After a while they came to a railroad crossing.

"I will look down the track and you look up the track," said mother to Bobby.

"I see a train coming," said Bobby.

"We will wait until it goes past before we try to cross," said mother "Whoa, Prince."

So Prince stood facing the track.

On came the train, very fast. "Chug, chug, chug," went the engine. "Toot, toot," went the whistle. "Ding, dong, ding, dong," went the bell. Soon the train went whizzing past.

Prince did not jump. He just stood still and looked at the train as it passed. You see, he had seen trains many times before.

When the train had passed, Mrs. Hill drove over the track and on to town.

After she had bought the new shoes for Bobby and Betty, they started home again.

Just as they were going down Main Street, along came a parade with a brass band at its head. "We will stop here and see the parade," said mother.

When the band came near them it played very loud. The drums were beating, "rub-a-dub-dub, rub-a-dub." The horns and the fifes and the flutes and the drums, all made a beautiful big sound.

Prince pricked up his ears.

"I have heard something like that before," thought he. "It never did me any harm."

So he stood very still as the band went past.

After the parade had gone by, they started toward home.

"Prince seems not to be afraid of anything," said mother.

As they drove along, Bobby was silent for a long time.

At last he said, "I know what this is like, mother."

"What is it like?" asked mother.

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggity jig."

"Only this time," said mother, "it is, To market, to market, to buy some new shoes. Home again, home again, what is the news?"

It was almost dark by the time they passed the little red school house.

Suddenly in the road ahead there appeared a strange object, coming straight toward them. It sounded something like a steam engine. "Chug, chug, chug, chug," it went.

In its face were two great glaring eyes.

"I never saw one of those before," thought Prince, "but I shall not jump."

On it came toward them very fast.

Just as it was almost there, it went "honk! honk! honk!"

Prince pricked up his ears. Mother held tight to the reins. "Whoa, Prince; steady, Prince," she said.

Prince did not mean to jump, but he had never seen anything like that before and he was just a little scared. Just then the strange thing went "honk, honk," close to his ears, as it went whizzing past.

Before they had time to think, jump went Prince to one side, which made Baby Betty slide off from the seat.

"What was that?" asked Bobby.

But mother did not answer, for Prince was pulling hard on the lines and going along very fast.

"It must have been a dragon," thought Bobby.

Though mother pulled on the reins as hard as she could, Prince did not slow up, for he was a strong-bitted horse and did not mind mother's pulling. He went fast all the way home.

When he reached home, Prince just slowed up of his own accord and went trotting slowly into the yard.

Father was waiting by the horse-block to help them out.

"What fine new shoes!" he said. "What is the news?"

"Prince jumped and ran when he saw the dragon," said Bobby.

"The dragon?" said father. "Did you see a dragon?"

"Yes," said Bobby, "and it hissed and sputtered and went 'squawk, squawk,' very loud and had two great big eyes."

"Oh, that must have been one of those horseless carriages," said father.

Bobby shook his head.

"I am quite sure it was a dragon," said he. "Prince thought so too."