nobody had ever supposed that the muley cow had much courage. in many ways she seemed quite timid. perhaps if she had had horns she would have been different. anyhow, whenever anything startled her the only thing she ever did was to run away, if she could. if old dog spot barked at her heels the muley cow always hurried to get out of reach of his snapping jaws. if farmer green shouted at her she was more than likely to mind him. and usually she even did as johnnie green told her to do. in all her life she was never known to fight. yet there came a time when many of her friends claimed that she was very brave indeed.
on a crisp fall evening a terrible, grinning fellow known as jack o'lantern appeared about the farmhouse. johnnie green, at least, did not fear him, in spite of his flaming features. for johnnie and jack spent the whole evening together. whenever the clatter of a wagon sounded from the road, the two rushed out to the gate, to be there when the wagon passed.
it was said that strangers seemed to be frightened. anyhow, shouts were heard. old dog spot did a great deal of barking. and miss kitty cat hid under the woodpile. queer tales travelled like wildfire that night. all the after-dark prowlers knew about jack o'lantern. and some of them saw—and feared—him.
after johnnie green went to bed jack sat a long time on a fence post and grinned at the black night. and nobody—except benjamin bat—dared go near him.
after a while jack o'lantern vanished. his gleaming eyes no longer flashed, his horrid mouth no longer grinned. and nobody cared to go near the place where he had sat, to see what had become of him.
at dawn miss kitty cat crawled out of the woodpile to do a little early hunting. and she claimed that at that hour jack o'lantern still sat on the fence post. she saw the back of his head—so she said. and that was enough for her. she did not look at him a second time. and yet—when broad daylight came jack o'lantern had vanished completely.
it was a great mystery. and when at last the muley cow spoke up and said that she had done for jack o'lantern, nobody could believe her.
when miss kitty cat heard the news she went at once to the pasture. and going straight to the muley cow she made bold to ask her a question: "is it true that you made away with that dreadful jack o'lantern?"
"yes!" the muley cow replied. "i was the first one out of the barn this morning. and i knocked jack o'lantern off the fence post."
"what happened then?" miss kitty cat wanted to know, as she stared round-eyed at the muley cow.
"he broke into a dozen pieces."
miss kitty cat was suspicious. "if that's so, where are the pieces?"
"i ate them," the muley cow explained.
and everybody said she was very, very brave. and everybody shuddered at the muley cow's next remark. "the pieces tasted very good," she said. "it was as fine pumpkin as i ever ate."
