some of the muley cow's friends were very sorry for her, when farmer green put the poke around her neck to keep her from jumping the pasture fence. it was a heavy, clumsy thing to carry about all day. sometimes, if she was not careful, the muley cow knocked her knees against it.
of course, there were others in the herd, like the little red cow and the big white one, that made disagreeable remarks. when they said unkind things to her the muley cow pretended that the poke didn't trouble her.
"don't you know," she said to them one day, "that it's an honor to wear a poke? it shows that i'm the most valuable animal in the herd. farmer green doesn't intend to lose me, if he can help it."
"nonsense!" the little red cow cried. "farmer green makes you wear the poke because he doesn't want you to teach the young cattle bad habits. if he hadn't stopped you from jumping you'd soon have had all the youngsters at it."
it was now the muley cow's turn to cry, "nonsense!" but somehow she couldn't quite say the word. she had a queer, guilty feeling. and she walked away looking quite glum. she didn't want to talk with anybody.
after her there followed a small flock of cowbirds.
"we aren't intruding, i hope," one plump cowbird remarked with a smirk as he settled himself near the muley cow's forelegs, when she stopped to graze.
"you can always count on us as being good friends of yours," a dull gray dame told the muley cow.
"when you're feeling sad you can depend on us to cheer you up," a glossy, greenish black gentleman chimed in with a chuckle.
the muley cow couldn't help thinking how pleasant it was to be among such kind companions.
"if you'll take care not to step on us we'll catch these flies that are biting you," another offered.
"thank you!" said the muley cow. "you're very good to do that for an old lady like me."
the cowbirds all laughed harshly at that. though the muley cow didn't see any joke, she smiled in spite of herself. at least, the cowbirds had said nothing about her poke. and that was certainly worth a smile.
in the past the muley cow had known plenty of cowbirds. but she had paid little heed to them, unless it was to tell them to fly away, for they were always hovering around a body's feet.
it wasn't long before the flock had caught every one of the flies that had been following the muley cow. and when the last one had been gobbled up—after a slight dispute as to who should have it—the cowbirds left the muley cow abruptly. and they seemed to have lost all their politeness before they went.
"they're shy—that's all," the muley cow thought. "they hurried away before i could thank them."
