"Bill where on earth did you get that?" Mrs. Brown stood in amazement as her youngest son opened the gate and came walking into the yard leading a pony.

"Joe's dad gave it to me," Bill replied in a somewhat nonchalant manner. "Mom, can you believe it, I have a pony, a real live pony, all of my own?"

Mrs. Brown thought, ooooh boy wait till my husband gets home. Then she laughed and eagerly asked, "What is your pony's name?"

"Joe's dad called him nary nothing, but I think cocoa would be a good name, you think that would be a good name Mom?"

"That is fine son, is Cocoa hungry or thirsty?" Wanting to appease her young son, for he was oh so pumped up?

"I gave him half my soda pop and a Twinkie I bummed from Sammy."

"Take him over in the vacant lot and let him graze, then get a bucket of water and put over there for him cause he looks thirsty to me, please." Mrs. Brown laughed and thought, oh boy. For the five Brown children now had, three dogs, six cats, a hamster, a guinea pig, four rabbits, two birds, a green lizard and now a pony.

In a few minutes Mrs. Brown looked out of the kitchen window toward the vacant lot and saw her young son with a bucket in front of the pony, and a paper cup trying to get the pony to drink from the paper cup. She shook her head and laughed.

Mr. Brown usually did not get home till six, just as the children finished their supper. He made it home to have a bite with them and then they talked to their father as he ate his supper. Mrs. Brown felt six was too late for the children to start their supper so she had mandated, supper at five thirty. Supper table discussions among her five siblings, well actually four cause Petey was only one, was about the pony, and what all they could do with it beside riding it and getting a pony cart. Supper went fast for the Brown children and all at once dad was home.

"Hi kids," Mr. Brown said as he kissed and hugged each one, then washed and sat down for supper. "Well Bill how was your day?" Each meal he asked that question to a different child first; so they could take turns telling about what they had done.

"Dad, Joe's dad gave me a pony!" Mr. Brown not being the type to get arouse easily replied, "Oh he did, did he? And what did you do to get him to give you that pony?"

"Joe's dad said that pony was worthless and he gave him to me. Joe never rode him." Bill's eyes were large, he was sitting up soo straight and his eyes were aglow.

"And what is the pony's name?" Mr. Brown still was nonchalant about this. "Cocoa,"

"Is he brown?"

"No dad, Cocoa is sort of yellow." Bill was just sitting and looking at his dad.

"Oh I see, and where is cocoa going to sleep? Mr. Brown inquired.

"He can share my room." Bill responded.

What do your three brothers think about the idea?"

They say it is OK if Cocoa sleeps on the couch in our room." As usual Bill was serious, dead serious.

Well how are you going to get Cocoa up stairs?" Mr. Brown asked, the quickly added, "You know you Mom doesn't like anybody tracking up her living room and you can't bring a pony into the kitchen."

Seth piped up, "And Bobby Grover's pony potties anytime he has to wherever he is. The table roared with laughter till they saw Mr. Brown was not laughing.

"Yes Seth, but that is not a supper table subject, OK?"

"Yes Dad." Seth knew he had made a boo boo but his brothers and sisters had laughed at it, and that was OK with Seth.

"After supper I had better go talk to Joe's daddy and then when I get back we will discuss this." Mr. Brown stood and quickly departed. Joe only lived at the end of the road. In a few minutes Mr. Brown was back, shaking his head.

"Bill, children come here please, pow wow time." Mr. Brown was chuckling to himself and thinking, we are going to have to get a larger place and I am going to have to start making more money at the rate we are going.

"What did Joe's dad say, dad, what did he say," Bill asked?

"It is OK, Bill you can keep the pony but you have to take care of him and that will be a big job." Mr. Brown spoke as the other children started jumping up and down cheering. "And that will require a lot of work."

"I will Dad, I will," Bill said as he rushed over to hug his dad's neck.

"Now let's get some room in the shed for Cocoa."

After the children were in bed, Mrs. Brown looked at her husband and asked, "OK, now why did Joe's dad get rid of Cocoa?"

"Mr. Brown smiled and replied, "Because Cocoa ate part of Joe's Mom's laundry off the line, and she said either the pony goes or I go."

Mrs. Brown shook her head, hugged her husband and whispered, "It will take more than a pony for you to get rid of me." Needless to say Cocoa was not allowed into the back yard when wash on the line.

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