Georgie and his brother knew perfectly well that Farmer John had forbidden it. The green apples in the south meadow were no good for Jack the horse, and that was that. Yet a bay horse will not come without something to tempt him, and temptation, as it turns out, is contagious. The naughty boys fed Jack the apples and the poor horse was groaning with colic before nightfall. Would the boys confess, or would Jack find another way to tell his master what had happened?