'Til the Cows Come Home

It was a beautiful piece of leather, smooth as silk and tough as a tornado. In fact, it was the best-looking leather you ever saw. An old cowhand gave it to a young cowboy as a gift. The cowboy cut it up and made a handsome pair of chaps for himself. He said he'd wear those chaps 'til the cows came home. But months of roping and riding wore a hole in one of the legs. That made the cowboy sad, and it set him to thinking. His chaps may be worn out, but he still had some of the beautiful leather. And as long as the cowboy had that leather, he knew he had possibilities. Jodi Icenoggle's endearing story, with lively illustrations by Normand Chartier, is adapted from a traditional Jewish folktale. This time-honored tale finds new life on a cattle ranch in the American West. An author's note and a glossary of Western slang adds to the enjoyment of this story about a piece of leather and a resourceful cowboy.