One day as Mother stood looking out the window, they heard her call, “Oh — oh! Come watch! That old ram is bossing Betsy again.”
The girls came running to join her at the kitchen window, and she lifted Peggy up onto the counter so she could see as well as the bigger girls. How they laughed at the sight of the much smaller ram chasing their big Holstein cow around and around the barn. When Betsy grew tired and tried to stop, the ram bunted her legs with his hard head until she ran again.
One day, the ram was standing in the yard not far from the kitchen door.
“There’s that old boss of the barnyard! Who dares to go out and pet him?” Naomi teased.
“I’m not scared of him,” Peggy boasted. “I’d go pet him if I wanted to.”
“All right, you show us. Here, take some salt in your hand and feed it to him. He loves salt and that may help him to feel friendly.”
Peggy started out the kitchen door, walking very slowly. She knew she was afraid — just plain scared! If only she hadn’t boasted.
“Nice ram! Nice ram!” she coaxed. Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, but he turned his head and looked at her.
“H ... here’s some salt,” she said, holding out her trembling hand to him.
The ram stepped stiffly closer to her and sniffed at her hand curiously. His breath tickled. W ... would he bite her? Peggy pulled her hand back a bit as his rough tongue reached out.
Wham ... m ... mm! Thud!
Peggy sat down so hard and so fast that it seemed the ground had come up and hit her. As she scrambled to her feet, something banged into her stomach — hard!
Down she sprawled again!
This time, Peggy rolled over before she started up.
“Ouch ... o ... h ... h ... h!” she wailed as she hit the ground face down this time. Tears began to make straggly streaks through the dust on her cheeks. What should she do? The “Boss of the Barnyard” was only a few feet away. His head was lowered, waiting for her to get up again. Wouldn’t someone come to help her?
A quick glance toward the window showed Mother, Naomi and Helen watching — and laughing!
She would show them — and that mean old ram too! She would get up so fast — and run for the house — before — before — woooooff!
Again she sprawled helplessly. Now Peggy was really crying.
At last help came. Mother and Naomi with brooms and sticks chased the ram back into the barnyard.
Peggy Jean scrambled to her feet, feeling sore and bruised in several places, but a wiser little girl than she had been moments before.
A few days later, the ram was again chasing big Betsy around the barn. Suddenly Betsy revolted! Swinging her big body around, she braced her legs, lowered her broad head, and waited.
The “Boss of the Barnyard” was almost upon her, running with his head down, so he did not see what awaited him.
Crash! Two very hard heads collided with a resounding crack! The stunned ram rolled onto the ground with his four legs straight up in the air.
In a few moments, he roused, scrambled to his feet and looked about, completely bewildered. Betsy was calmly continuing her interrupted dinner, and a subdued ram trotted away to join the sheep, never again to be the boss in the barnyard.
The girls enjoyed telling Father all about it at supper time, and everyone had a good laugh. Then Mother said thoughtfully, “Maybe Betsy can teach us something! That ram had no right to boss her around. He was her enemy. As long as she ran from him, he had his way, and she was miserable. Satan is our enemy, and he likes to see us run from him like cowards. How did Betsy get the victory over the ram?”
“When she stood her ground and resisted him!” Naomi answered promptly. “And I think I know what Bible verse you’re thinking of. ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’”
“Good thinking!” smiled Mother.
After supper Father read some very interesting verses from the Bible, Ephesians 6:1018:
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. . . . Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”