Leroy Ninker opened his eyes. He saw a small girl.

“Is it?” she said. “Is that your horse?”

“Yes,” said Leroy Ninker. “This is my horse. She was lost, and I tracked her through the mud. She was lost, and I found her.”

“Uh-huh. What’s her name?”

“Maybelline,” said Leroy.

“My name is Stella,” said the girl. “Can I pet your horse?”

“Yes,” said Leroy Ninker. “But what this horse really likes is a compliment. Do you know how to give a compliment?”

“Of course I do,” said Stella. She put her hand on Maybelline’s nose. She looked Maybelline in the eye and said, “You are a very nice-looking horse. You are the nicest-looking horse I have ever seen. Of course, I have never seen a horse before. But I have seen a pig. There is a pig who lives on this street. I know that pigs and horses are not the same at all. Other than that they both have hooves. Even though they are different kinds of hooves. You have very nice hooves, by the way.”

Maybelline twitched her ears this way and that. She let out a pleased-sounding chuff of air.

“Stella!” shouted a boy. “Stella, watch out. Horses can be very dangerous. They can kick out suddenly with their hind legs and harm the unsuspecting.”

“That’s my brother, Frank,” said Stella to Leroy. “He worries a lot.”

Maybelline put her nose up in the air. She sniffed. She whinnied and put a question mark at the end of the whinny.

“What you are smelling is toast,” said Stella to Maybelline. “Every morning, Mrs. Watson makes toast for her pig. Mercy is the name of the pig, and she is a pig who likes toast with a great deal of butter on it. Have you ever had toast with a great deal of butter on it? It’s very good.”

“Wait a minute,” said Leroy Ninker. “Is this Deckawoo Drive?”

“This is Deckawoo Drive,” said Stella.

“I have been here before,” said Leroy.

And just as Leroy Ninker finished saying these words, a woman stepped out on the front porch of the house next door. She was holding a butter knife in her hand, and a pig was standing beside her.

“Good morning, Stella,” called the woman. “And Mr. Ninker! It is lovely to see you again.”

“Hello, Mrs. Watson,” said Leroy Ninker. “I would like for you to meet my horse, Maybelline.”

“Well,” said Mrs. Watson, “what a wonderful horse. She looks like a true equine wonder. You must both come inside and have some toast.”

“But I don’t know if Maybelline will fit through the door,” said Leroy.

“Oh, heavens,” said Mrs. Watson. “There is always a way to make things fit. Come inside, come inside.”

“Come on,” said Stella. She took hold of Leroy’s hand.

Leroy turned to his horse. He said, “Come with me, horse of my heart. We are going to eat some toast.”

The cowboy started to walk.

The horse followed along behind him.

The cowboy and the horse went inside.