The Story of Freginald by Walter R. Brooks

Jerry to wait a minute, and he climbed down from Hannibal’s back and went over and tied his red checkered handkerchief on the long horn on the rhinoceros’s nose. And then he slapped Jerry on the shoulder and said: “Good boy! I guess this will be the last time, so make it a good one.” And he aimed him and said: “Go!”
    When the bull saw the rhinoceros start he shook his head and trotted slowly toward him as he had each time before. But when he got closer he saw the red handkerchief. Now, bulls get mad pretty easily anyway, but when they see anything red it makes them simply furious. They just put their heads down and go for, it. And so when this bull caught sight of the flutter of red he forgot all about his plan to tire Jerry out, and he gave a dreadful deep bellow and dropped his head almost to the ground and dug in his hoofs and went thundering down the field like a runaway truck. But Jerry knew that Mr. Boomschmidt wanted him to make this a good one, so he gave it everything he had got. And that was a good deal, for rhinoceroses are among our oldest families and have lots of stamina. He looked pretty invincible as he drove snorting like a steam engine up the field.
    It was over in a second. There was a terrible smack as the two animals met forehead to forehead. They went right up in the air for a second. And then the bull was lying on his back with his hoofs in the air and the red handkerchief around one horn, and Jerry was trotting around in a circle, shaking his head.
    The circus animals gave a loud cheer and rushed out into the field. Jerry came up to Mr. Boomschmidt. “What’s the matter with the bull?” he asked.
    â€œYou hit him,” said Mr. Boomschmidt. “My goodness, that was grand, Jerry. You hit him right between the horns.”
    â€œThought I hit one of those porch pillars,” said Jerry. “Felt like it.” He shook his head again. “Oh, dear, I’m afraid I’ve got a headache coming on.”
    The circus animals crowded around him with shouts and congratulations. The robbers came slowly forward. There was no fight left in them. The def eat of their captain had broken their courage.
    Jerry went over to the bull and nudged him. “Hey, bull,” he said. “You O.K.?”

    The bull opened one eye. “Where am I?” he said weakly.
    â€œYou’re among friends,” said Mr. Boomschmidt. “Friends and fellow citizens, by cracky, now that there isn’t any more Confederacy.”
    The bull groaned. “I—I struck something,” he said feebly.
    â€œIt was me,” said Jerry. “Where were you at all the time, anyway? I couldn’t find you.”
    â€œGo away,” said the bull, and closed his eye again.
    Out of the house came Leo and Freginald. Their coats were white with plaster dust, and Mr. Boomschmidt threw up his hands when he saw them. “My, my!” he said. “What a terrible experience you have had! Why, it has turned your hair quite white.”
    â€œIt’s just plaster, chief,” said Leo. “Too bad; a white lion and a white bear—that would be something to show people, eh? Well, Fredg, let’s get it off.” And he began whacking at his coat so vigorously that the dust got into Mr. Boomschmidt’s nose and made him sneeze so hard that his hat fell off.
    Whatever Mr. Boomschmidt did he did thoroughly and he continued to sneeze for some time. But at last he got the better of it, and then he had the circus all line up and marched the robbers out of the house with all the honors of war. As a special courtesy the band played Dixie , and this pleased them very much. Even the bull roused up and took his place at their head as they marched around the field, although he still seemed a little dazed.
    After that Mr. Boomschmidt went up on the porch of the house and fastened an American flag to one of the pillars and said: “In the name of the President and