The Widow Mitchell was right: when they left her house, a dusting of snow had already covered the porch.
“Are we going home now, Papa?” asked Samuel.
“I wonder if Mr. Lewis would trade for the pitcher,” said Papa.
“We’re going to trade until we get ourselves a brown-eyed milk cow, aren’t we?”
Papa looked up at the clouds. It was already past noon and they had only four hours of daylight left. Maybe not even that. “We’ll see what Mr. Lewis has to say,” said Papa.
But they had only gone a little way when they heard the sound of bells behind them. Samuel turned and saw Dr. Fulton’s sleigh, pulled by a black mare. At first, Samuel thought the mare must be tired, the sleigh came on so slowly. But soon he saw what was holding her back. A fleecy ewe trailed on a short rope behind the sleigh.
“Jonathan, Samuel,” nodded Dr. Fulton. “You’re brave folks, walking so far from your place on a day such as this.” He brushed away the snow that had collected on the brim of his felt hat.
“You’re out too,” said Papa.
“But I’m on my way home—home from seeing the newest of our town’s citizens into the world. And I’ve got a sheep in payment from her happy parents, as you can see.”
Papa took off his glove and ran his hand over the sheep’s back. “This is a fine merino, with a fleece thick and heavy. You’ll likely get a good price for it come spring.”
“I hope to be rid of the beast before then,” said Dr. Fulton. “You wouldn’t be interested in taking it off my hands?”
Papa smiled. “Do we have anything to offer, Son?”
Samuel carefully handed the Widow Mitchell’s pitcher to Dr. Fulton. Then he walked to the mare’s head and stroked her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned down to him.
“I’d call this a good bargain,” said Dr. Fulton. “Shall we shake hands?”
Samuel reached into his pocket and found one of the apples. He took off his mitten, spread his palm wide, and held the apple up for the mare. And while Papa untied the merino sheep from the back of the sleigh, and while the mare munched the apple, Samuel wished again, just a little bit, it wasn’t a brown-eyed cow his mother was wanting.