My father Max White, from Stephenville, often told me this true story, and it always made me laugh. Apparently, my grandfather Joe Maxim was a somewhat stern man. His six-foot frame towered above my grandmother Mary’s five-foot stature. Nonetheless, he could be reduced to her size quite easily with just one of her “looks.” One day, during their return trip from town with their eight children and monthly supplies on their horse-drawn wagon, it began to rain heavily. Joe Maxim knew the old rutted track leading to the house would be soft and muddy, and very slippery. With the weight of his family and their supplies, he figured the wagon would most likely get stuck. Sure enough, just as they turned to go up the track to the house, the wagon began to sink in the mud. No matter how hard he tried, the horse just couldn’t budge the load. Joe Maxim got down from the wagon and gathered some spruce branches to put beneath the wheels. He was not eager to tell Mary that she and the children would have to get down from the wagon, as he knew they would probably be over their ankles in mud. But if they were ever going to get the supplies home, down they must get. Standing beside the large horse, and holding the reins he called over his shoulder to them, “Get off, get off.” (With his French accent, this would have sounded like “g-toff, g-toff”) Mary quickly urged all the children down into the mud, sinking to her ankles beside them. Speaking to the horse Joe Maxim said, “Get on, Get on” (G-tonne, g-tonne) his way of saying, “move forward”. Not realizing he was speaking to the horse, Mary ushered the children back up onto the wagon, glad to be out of the mud. The horse didn’t move an inch. Without the extra weight, Joe Maxim figured the horse would easily pull the wagon out. Looking back to see where his family was, he was surprised to see them all back up in the wagon. He said to them again, “Get off, get off.” Mary once again got the children out of the wagon and back into the mud, a little annoyed that Joe Maxim told them to get back on and now he wanted them off again. Joe Maxim looked back to make sure they were off this time and turning to the horse said, “Get on, get on.” Although she was getting tired, Mary quickly urged the children back up onto the wagon. The wagon didn’t budge! Joe Maxim thought the horse must be tired, because the load shouldn’t be too much for him now. He looked back at the wagon to tell Mary they should probably let the horse rest a little. There they all were, back in the wagon again! Annoyed now, Joe Maxim said, “Mary, get off, get off.” She’d had enough! Not realizing that Joe Maxim had been speaking to the horse each time he said “get on,” Mary jumped down into the squishy mud and told the children to stay right where they were on the wagon. Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, Mary stomped past Joe Maxim, pausing for a moment to glare at him as she passed by. Heading up the track to the house, she muttered, “That man can’t make up his mind.” Joe Maxim knew he was in trouble, but for the life of him he didn’t know why.   Submitted By: Nancy Crossman