"Good morning, Bobby and Rex! How did it feel to sleep in 'til five o'clock?" asked old Jim Lang. Putting on his socks and boots, he thanked his Creator for the gift of his new mule, Cool Beans.
Because of Beans, he had been able to get enough rest for the first market day in over two years. Ever since his beloved horse Wind had died of old age, Jim had been hauling the produce to town on foot. This meant getting up long before dawn to arrive on time.
"Hello Beans, shall we get ready to go to town?" In reply, Beans grabbed Jim's straw hat. Jim laughed and soon they were on their way. The morning was cool, but pleasant. In no time Jim was setting up for the day.
The dogs were used to the routine and settled in for a long day. But poor Beans was used to his days being filled with activity. He didn't know what to do.
"Bored, fella? Well, let's see if we can fix that!" Looking around, he saw an old pail which had been discarded. He filled it with water, and threw in a few carrots. Soon the young animal was happily playing.
This drew a crowd, especially anyone with children. Of course that made both Jim and Beans happy! Jim sold produce while children petted the playful mule.
Before lunch everything he had brought was gone! That gave the seasoned salesman an idea. He would work on it over the weekend.
"Well let's head home! We did really well today, thanks to our friend Beans!"
BANG!!! Trotting proudly down the street, suddenly Beans heard the worst noise ever! He stopped, and laid back his ears, teeth bared.
""Easy, big guy. It's just a firecracker." said Jim.
"Sorry mister, we didn't see you." apologized a young boy, his friend peeking around the corner.
"It's fine, lad. Our friend here has never seen one of those before. I'm glad he didn't bolt! He's downright fearless!"
"Yes, sir." said the boy, admiring the mule's willingness to stand and fight. Jim again thanked his Creator for such a wonderful companion. Beans would be the most reliable animal on four hooves when fully trained. And a great salesman too!
"Let's go home, we are going to try something different tomorrow! If this works, we won't need to do this nearly as often!"
This is a 100% power up post
Cover image is from Canva, using their gallery