Father helped Almanzo push them, till they stood properly side by side again. Then he said, "Well, son, I'll leave you to figure it out." And he went into the barn.
Then Almanzo knew that he was really old enough to do important things all by himself. He stood in the snow and looked at the calves, and they stared innocently at him. He wondered how to teach them what "Giddap!" meant. There wasn't any way to tell them. But he must find some way to tell them, "When I say 'Giddap!' you must walk straight ahead."
Almanzo thought awhile, and then he left the calves and went to the cows' feed-box, and filled his pockets with carrots. He came back and stood as far in front of the calves as he could, holding the rope in his left hand. He put his right hand into the pocket of his barn jumper. Then he shouted, "Giddap!" and he showed Star and Bright a carrot in his hand. They came eagerly.
"Whoa!" Almanzo shouted when they reached him, and they stopped for the carrot. He gave each of them a piece, and when they had eaten it he backed away again, and putting his hand in his pocket he shouted: "Giddap!" It was astonishing how quickly they learned that "Giddap!" meant to start forward, and "Whoa!" meant to stop. They were behaving as well as grown-up oxen when Father came to the barn door and said: "That's enough, son."
Almanzo did not think it was enough, but of course he could not contradict Father.
"Calves will get sullen and stop minding you if you work them too long at first," Father said. "Besides, it's dinner-time."
Almanzo could hardly believe it. The whole morning had gone in a minute.
