Chapter Five: Peruna Gets Ready For The Big Game
Mr. Culwell watched over Peruna’s training. He
often came to the training-ring to see how well the new mascot was doing. One
of the first tricks Peruna learned was how to walk on his hind feet, backward
as well as forward, and take sugar lumps from Cully and Jim while he did it!
One morning, another student at the University came with two boys. Is name was Bobby Dobbs, and he wanted to see Peruna go through his paces.
Mr. Culwell asked Cully and Jim and Bobby to get down on their hands and knees close together. Then he gave a signal. And Peruna ran and jumped over the three boys!
“Whoops for Peruna!” cried the boys, getting up from the ground. Peruna had been jumping over two boys. But to jump over three boys was really something for a little pony to do. Mr. Culwell was so pleased that he gave Peruna two sugar lumps.
“Let’s see him buck,” said Bobby Dobbs.
Mr. Culwell cracked his whip once in the air. Peruna began bucking and pitching all over the ring.
“That’s great,” said Bobby. Then Mr. Culwell cracked his whip twice in the air, and the pony stopped.
“You boys have done a fine job teaching this little fellow,” Mr. Culwell told Cully and Jim. “This Peruna is going to be the best mascot that S.M.U. has ever had. Why, he’s almost ready for his job right now!”
The summer days passed quickly and suddenly September had come. The grown up boys and girls of Southern Methodist returned to “The Hilltop,” as they called their broad, green campus. The football players began practicing the game every afternoon after their studies were over.
On a cool, crisp day, a station-wagon pulled up alongside the paddock on the Culwell Ranch. Peruna saw Mr. Culwell, Jim, and Cully get out of the car. He neighed happily and trotted over to meet them.
Cully led Peruna through the gate. “Hop in!” he commanded, when they reached the car. “You’re going to see your team practice football today. Tomorrow’s the big game with Texas University! And you’ll meet their Longhorn Steer mascot!”
Peruna looked curiously at the open door of the station-wagon. Then he shook his head, and stamped his hoofs. When Peruna did that, everyone knew he mean “no.” So Mr. Culwell picked up the little pony and set him in the car and closed the door.
When the station-wagon began moving, Peruna stumbled about. But he quickly learned how to stand so as to balance himself. Jim opened a side window, and Peruna stuck out his head and sniffed the air just like a dog. And he felt very excited.
At last the car reached Dallas, and the Hilltop. It pulled up to the football field, and the boys who were practicing football stopped playing. They came running to see their new mascot.
Mr. Culwell opened the door of the station-wagon. Peruna hopped out.
“MASCOT PERUNA!” yelled the football players. They yelled so loud that it sounded like a lion’s roar. Peruna knew they were calling his name and this made him feel proud. He bobbed his head up and down, as the circus ponies in the training-ring did when people clapped their hands.
Cully and Jim fastened two chains to Peruna’s halter, and each boy held one. They took him over to the field’s sidelines, while the team sang the song that they called their “Peruna Chant.”
“She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes
She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes
She’ll be loaded with Peruna
Yes, loaded with Peruna
She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes.”
Then the football players ran on to the center of the field. Several men came over to have a look at Peruna. These were the “coaches” who were teaching the fellows how to play the game. The little pony knew that he was important to all these men and boys. He let out of a loud whinny to tell them he was glad to be their mascot.
“Quite a pony you’re giving us, Mr. Culwell!” said one of the coaches. They all gazed at the tiny pony admiringly.
Mr. Culwell and Cully and Jim sat on a bench and watched the players. When the Head Coach blew a whistle, Peruna’s ears perked up, and he began looking at what was going on out there in the field.
Peruna tried to learn about football. Those big fellows tumbled about like ponies playing! Peruna pawed the ground excitedly. He watched the boys pile on each other as they tried to stop the fellow with the ball. Peruna thought that if they would let him get into the game and do some bucking and pitching, he might help a lot. He tried to run over where the boys were, but the ends of his chains were in Cully’s and Jim’s hands. Cully shouted, “Whoa there, Peruna! A pony can’t play football!”
Before the players had finished their practice, Mr. Culwell and the boys took Peruna back to the station-wagon. Then Mr. Culwell drove to the Rendezvous Stables, which was not far from the University.
A man came to the car. He said, “Howdy, Mr. Culwell,” and grinned at Cully and Jim. “So the new mascot’s come to be groomed, eh?” He looked at Peruna from head to tail. “He’s sure a honey! Gosh, but he’s small.”
Mr. Culwell nodded. “We want Peruna to look his very best, Tod – so give him the works.”
“Yeah,” put in Cully, “and don’t forget to paint his hoofs!”
“Good and red!” Jim said.
“you’re some ‘punkins’,” Tod told Peruna as he opened the car door. “I’ll have him dressed early for the rally tonight,” the stableman said.
“We’ll get him around seven o’clock,” Mr. Culwell told Tod. “But we’re bringing him back here after the rally,” he added. “So he’ll be sure to be here for the game tomorrow.”
“Yep,” said Cully, giving Peruna a parting pat on the head. “We don’t want those Texas University guys stealing our mascot.”
“Boy, wouldn’t they like to,” Jim said. “Cully and I are going to sleep in Peruna’s stall, Tod. Then we’ll be sure to have a mascot to meet Texas U’s Longhorn Steer!”
That evening Shorty came from the paddock and into the barn. She saw that Peruna’s stall door was open so she walked in. But Peruna wasn’t in his stall eating his oats and bran! His mother became worried, for this had never happened before. She nosed the door closed, and decided to wait in Peruna’s stall until he came home.
Peruna’s mother had almost dozed off when two young men stole quietly into the stall. Shorty had never seen them before. But she followed them willingly when they led her out. Because she thought they were taking her to her colt.
“This is Peruna, all right!” whispered the taller lad to the other. “We’ve got him! See that?” He let his flashlight shine on the blue and red sign that hung on the box-stall door. The big red letters read, “PERUNA.”
“Oh boy!” snickered that Texas University student who thought he was stealing S.M.U.’s mascot. “Won’t those guys be plenty mad! A football team can’t play good without their mascot!”
One morning, another student at the University came with two boys. Is name was Bobby Dobbs, and he wanted to see Peruna go through his paces.
Mr. Culwell asked Cully and Jim and Bobby to get down on their hands and knees close together. Then he gave a signal. And Peruna ran and jumped over the three boys!
“Whoops for Peruna!” cried the boys, getting up from the ground. Peruna had been jumping over two boys. But to jump over three boys was really something for a little pony to do. Mr. Culwell was so pleased that he gave Peruna two sugar lumps.
“Let’s see him buck,” said Bobby Dobbs.
Mr. Culwell cracked his whip once in the air. Peruna began bucking and pitching all over the ring.
“That’s great,” said Bobby. Then Mr. Culwell cracked his whip twice in the air, and the pony stopped.
“You boys have done a fine job teaching this little fellow,” Mr. Culwell told Cully and Jim. “This Peruna is going to be the best mascot that S.M.U. has ever had. Why, he’s almost ready for his job right now!”
The summer days passed quickly and suddenly September had come. The grown up boys and girls of Southern Methodist returned to “The Hilltop,” as they called their broad, green campus. The football players began practicing the game every afternoon after their studies were over.
On a cool, crisp day, a station-wagon pulled up alongside the paddock on the Culwell Ranch. Peruna saw Mr. Culwell, Jim, and Cully get out of the car. He neighed happily and trotted over to meet them.
Cully led Peruna through the gate. “Hop in!” he commanded, when they reached the car. “You’re going to see your team practice football today. Tomorrow’s the big game with Texas University! And you’ll meet their Longhorn Steer mascot!”
Peruna looked curiously at the open door of the station-wagon. Then he shook his head, and stamped his hoofs. When Peruna did that, everyone knew he mean “no.” So Mr. Culwell picked up the little pony and set him in the car and closed the door.
When the station-wagon began moving, Peruna stumbled about. But he quickly learned how to stand so as to balance himself. Jim opened a side window, and Peruna stuck out his head and sniffed the air just like a dog. And he felt very excited.
At last the car reached Dallas, and the Hilltop. It pulled up to the football field, and the boys who were practicing football stopped playing. They came running to see their new mascot.
Mr. Culwell opened the door of the station-wagon. Peruna hopped out.
“MASCOT PERUNA!” yelled the football players. They yelled so loud that it sounded like a lion’s roar. Peruna knew they were calling his name and this made him feel proud. He bobbed his head up and down, as the circus ponies in the training-ring did when people clapped their hands.
Cully and Jim fastened two chains to Peruna’s halter, and each boy held one. They took him over to the field’s sidelines, while the team sang the song that they called their “Peruna Chant.”
“She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes
She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes
She’ll be loaded with Peruna
Yes, loaded with Peruna
She’ll be loaded with Peruna when she comes.”
Then the football players ran on to the center of the field. Several men came over to have a look at Peruna. These were the “coaches” who were teaching the fellows how to play the game. The little pony knew that he was important to all these men and boys. He let out of a loud whinny to tell them he was glad to be their mascot.
“Quite a pony you’re giving us, Mr. Culwell!” said one of the coaches. They all gazed at the tiny pony admiringly.
Mr. Culwell and Cully and Jim sat on a bench and watched the players. When the Head Coach blew a whistle, Peruna’s ears perked up, and he began looking at what was going on out there in the field.
Peruna tried to learn about football. Those big fellows tumbled about like ponies playing! Peruna pawed the ground excitedly. He watched the boys pile on each other as they tried to stop the fellow with the ball. Peruna thought that if they would let him get into the game and do some bucking and pitching, he might help a lot. He tried to run over where the boys were, but the ends of his chains were in Cully’s and Jim’s hands. Cully shouted, “Whoa there, Peruna! A pony can’t play football!”
Before the players had finished their practice, Mr. Culwell and the boys took Peruna back to the station-wagon. Then Mr. Culwell drove to the Rendezvous Stables, which was not far from the University.
A man came to the car. He said, “Howdy, Mr. Culwell,” and grinned at Cully and Jim. “So the new mascot’s come to be groomed, eh?” He looked at Peruna from head to tail. “He’s sure a honey! Gosh, but he’s small.”
Mr. Culwell nodded. “We want Peruna to look his very best, Tod – so give him the works.”
“Yeah,” put in Cully, “and don’t forget to paint his hoofs!”
“Good and red!” Jim said.
“you’re some ‘punkins’,” Tod told Peruna as he opened the car door. “I’ll have him dressed early for the rally tonight,” the stableman said.
“We’ll get him around seven o’clock,” Mr. Culwell told Tod. “But we’re bringing him back here after the rally,” he added. “So he’ll be sure to be here for the game tomorrow.”
“Yep,” said Cully, giving Peruna a parting pat on the head. “We don’t want those Texas University guys stealing our mascot.”
“Boy, wouldn’t they like to,” Jim said. “Cully and I are going to sleep in Peruna’s stall, Tod. Then we’ll be sure to have a mascot to meet Texas U’s Longhorn Steer!”
That evening Shorty came from the paddock and into the barn. She saw that Peruna’s stall door was open so she walked in. But Peruna wasn’t in his stall eating his oats and bran! His mother became worried, for this had never happened before. She nosed the door closed, and decided to wait in Peruna’s stall until he came home.
Peruna’s mother had almost dozed off when two young men stole quietly into the stall. Shorty had never seen them before. But she followed them willingly when they led her out. Because she thought they were taking her to her colt.
“This is Peruna, all right!” whispered the taller lad to the other. “We’ve got him! See that?” He let his flashlight shine on the blue and red sign that hung on the box-stall door. The big red letters read, “PERUNA.”
“Oh boy!” snickered that Texas University student who thought he was stealing S.M.U.’s mascot. “Won’t those guys be plenty mad! A football team can’t play good without their mascot!”