black beauty-第5部分

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he　sponged　my　sides　a　good　while；　so　tenderly　that　I　was　sure　he　knew

how　sore　and　bruised　they　were。　　‘Whoa！　my　pretty　one；'　he　said；

‘stand　still；　stand　still。'　　His　very　voice　did　me　good；　and　the　bathing

was　very　comfortable。　　The　skin　was　so　broken　at　the　corners　of　my　mouth

that　I　could　not　eat　the　hay；　the　stalks　hurt　me。　　He　looked　closely　at　it；

shook　his　head；　and　told　the　man　to　fetch　a　good　bran　mash　and　put　some　meal

into　it。　　How　good　that　mash　was！　and　so　soft　and　healing　to　my　mouth。

He　stood　by　all　the　time　I　was　eating；　stroking　me　and　talking　to　the　man。

‘If　a　high…mettled　creature　like　this；'　said　he；　‘can't　be　broken

by　fair　means；　she　will　never　be　good　for　anything。'



〃After　that　he　often　came　to　see　me；　and　when　my　mouth　was　healed

the　other　breaker；　Job；　they　called　him；　went　on　training　me；

he　was　steady　and　thoughtful；　and　I　soon　learned　what　he　wanted。〃









08　　　　　　Ginger's　Story　Continued







The　next　time　that　Ginger　and　I　were　together　in　the　paddock　she　told　me

about　her　first　place。



〃After　my　breaking　in；〃　she　said；　〃I　was　bought　by　a　dealer

to　match　another　chestnut　horse。　　For　some　weeks　he　drove　us　together；

and　then　we　were　sold　to　a　fashionable　gentleman；　and　were　sent　up　to　London。

I　had　been　driven　with　a　check…rein　by　the　dealer；　and　I　hated　it　worse

than　anything　else；　but　in　this　place　we　were　reined　far　tighter；

the　coachman　and　his　master　thinking　we　looked　more　stylish　so。

We　were　often　driven　about　in　the　park　and　other　fashionable　places。

You　who　never　had　a　check…rein　on　don't　know　what　it　is；

but　I　can　tell　you　it　is　dreadful。



〃I　like　to　toss　my　head　about　and　hold　it　as　high　as　any　horse；

but　fancy　now　yourself；　if　you　tossed　your　head　up　high　and　were　obliged

to　hold　it　there；　and　that　for　hours　together；　not　able　to　move　it　at　all；

except　with　a　jerk　still　higher；　your　neck　aching　till　you　did　not　know

how　to　bear　it。　　Besides　that；　to　have　two　bits　instead　of　one　

and　mine　was　a　sharp　one；　it　hurt　my　tongue　and　my　jaw；

and　the　blood　from　my　tongue　colored　the　froth　that　kept　flying　from　my　lips

as　I　chafed　and　fretted　at　the　bits　and　rein。　　It　was　worst

when　we　had　to　stand　by　the　hour　waiting　for　our　mistress　at　some

grand　party　or　entertainment；　and　if　I　fretted　or　stamped　with　impatience

the　whip　was　laid　on。　　It　was　enough　to　drive　one　mad。〃



〃Did　not　your　master　take　any　thought　for　you？〃　I　said。



〃No；〃　said　she；　〃he　only　cared　to　have　a　stylish　turnout；　as　they　call　it；

I　think　he　knew　very　little　about　horses；　he　left　that　to　his　coachman；

who　told　him　I　had　an　irritable　temper！　that　I　had　not　been　well　broken

to　the　check…rein；　but　I　should　soon　get　used　to　it；　but　he　was　not

the　man　to　do　it；　for　when　I　was　in　the　stable；　miserable　and　angry；

instead　of　being　smoothed　and　quieted　by　kindness；　I　got　only　a　surly　word

or　a　blow。　　If　he　had　been　civil　I　would　have　tried　to　bear　it。

I　was　willing　to　work；　and　ready　to　work　hard　too；　but　to　be　tormented

for　nothing　but　their　fancies　angered　me。　　What　right　had　they

to　make　me　suffer　like　that？　　Besides　the　soreness　in　my　mouth；

and　the　pain　in　my　neck；　it　always　made　my　windpipe　feel　bad；

and　if　I　had　stopped　there　long　I　know　it　would　have　spoiled　my　breathing；

but　I　grew　more　and　more　restless　and　irritable；　I　could　not　help　it；

and　I　began　to　snap　and　kick　when　any　one　came　to　harness　me；

for　this　the　groom　beat　me；　and　one　day；　as　they　had　just　buckled　us

into　the　carriage；　and　were　straining　my　head　up　with　that　rein；

I　began　to　plunge　and　kick　with　all　my　might。　　I　soon　broke　a　lot　of　harness；

and　kicked　myself　clear；　so　that　was　an　end　of　that　place。



〃After　this　I　was　sent　to　Tattersall's　to　be　sold；　of　course　I　could　not　be

warranted　free　from　vice；　so　nothing　was　said　about　that。

My　handsome　appearance　and　good　paces　soon　brought　a　gentleman　to　bid　for　me；

and　I　was　bought　by　another　dealer；　he　tried　me　in　all　kinds　of　ways

and　with　different　bits；　and　he　soon　found　out　what　I　could　not　bear。

At　last　he　drove　me　quite　without　a　check…rein；　and　then　sold　me

as　a　perfectly　quiet　horse　to　a　gentleman　in　the　country；

he　was　a　good　master；　and　I　was　getting　on　very　well；　but　his　old　groom

left　him　and　a　new　one　came。　　This　man　was　as　hard…tempered　and　hard…handed

as　Samson；　he　always　spoke　in　a　rough；　impatient　voice；

and　if　I　did　not　move　in　the　stall　the　moment　he　wanted　me；

he　would　hit　me　above　the　hocks　with　his　stable　broom　or　the　fork；

whichever　he　might　have　in　his　hand。　　Everything　he　did　was　rough；

and　I　began　to　hate　him；　he　wanted　to　make　me　afraid　of　him；

but　I　was　too　high…mettled　for　that；　and　one　day　when　he　had　aggravated　me

more　than　usual　I　bit　him；　which　of　course　put　him　in　a　great　rage；

and　he　began　to　hit　me　about　the　head　with　a　riding　whip。

After　that　he　never　dared　to　come　into　my　stall　again；

either　my　heels　or　my　teeth　were　ready　for　him；　and　he　knew　it。

I　was　quite　quiet　with　my　master；　but　of　course　he　listened

to　what　the　man　said；　and　so　I　was　sold　again。



〃The　same　dealer　heard　of　me；　and　said　he　thought　he　knew　one　place

where　I　should　do　well。　　‘'Twas　a　pity；'　he　said；　‘that　such　a　fine　horse

should　go　to　the　bad；　for　want　of　a　real　good　chance；'　and　the　end　of　it　was

that　I　came　here　not　long　before　you　did；　but　I　had　then　made　up　my　mind

that　men　were　my　natural　enemies　and　that　I　must　defend　myself。

Of　course　it　is　very　different　here；　but　who　knows　how　long　it　will　last？

I　wish　I　could　think　about　things　as　you　do；　but　I　can't；

after　all　I　have　gone　through。〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃I　think　it　would　be　a　real　shame　if　you　were　to　bite　or　kick

John　or　James。〃



〃I　don't　mean　to；〃　she　said；　〃while　they　are　good　to　me。

I　did　bite　James　once　pretty　sharp；　but　John　said；　‘Try　her　with　kindness；'

and　instead　of　punishing　me　as　I　expected；　James　came　to　me

with　his　arm　bound　up；　and　brought　me　a　bran　mash　and　stroked　me；

and　I　have　never　snapped　at　him　since；　and　I　won't　either。〃



I　was　sorry　for　Ginger；　but　of　course　I　knew　very　little　then；

and　I　thought　most　likely　she　made　the　worst　of　it；　however；

I　found　that　as　the　weeks　went　on　she　grew　much　more　gentle　and　cheerful；

and　had　lost　the　watchful；　defiant　look　that　she　used　to　turn

on　any　strange　person　who　came　near　her；　and　one　day　James　said；

〃I　do　believe　that　mare　is　getting　fond　of　me；　she　quite　whinnied　after　me

this　morning　when　I　had　been　rubbing　her　forehead。〃



〃Ay；　ay；　Jim；　'tis　‘the　Birtwick　balls'；〃　said　John；　〃she'll　be　as　good

as　Black　Beauty　by　and　by；　kindness　is　all　the　physic　she　wants；　poor　thing！〃

Master　noticed　the　change；　too；　and　one　day　when　he　got　out　of　the　carriage

and　came　to　speak　to　us；　as　he　often　did；　he　stroked　her　beautiful　neck。

〃Well；　my　pretty　one；　well；　how　do　things　go　with　you　now？

You　are　a　good　bit　happier　than　when　you　came　to　us；　I　think。〃



She　put　her　nose　up　to　him　in　a　friendly；　trustful　way；

while　he　rubbed　it　gently。



〃We　shall　make　a　cure　of　her；　John；〃　he　said。



〃Yes；　sir；　she's　wonderfully　improved；　she's　not　the　same　creature

that　she　was；　it's　‘the　Birtwick　balls'；　sir；〃　said　John；　laughing。



This　was　a　little　joke　of　John's；　he　used　to　say　that　a　regular　course

of　〃the　Birtwick　horseballs〃　would　cure　almost　any　vicious　horse；

these　balls；　he　said；　were　made　up　of　patience　and　gentleness；

firmness　and　petting；　one　pound　of　each　to　be　mixed　up　with　half　a　pint

of　common　sense；　and　given　to　the　horse　every　day。









09　　　　　　Merrylegs







Mr。　Blomefield；　the　vicar；　had　a　large　family　of　boys　and　girls；

sometimes　they　used　to　come　and　play　with　Miss　Jessie　and　Flora。

One　of　the　girls　was　as　old　as　Miss　Jessie；　two　of　the　boys　were　older；

and　there　were　several　little　ones。　　When　they　came　there　was　plenty　of　work

for　Merrylegs；　for　nothing　pleased　them　so　much　as　getting　on　him　by　turns

and　riding　him　all　about　the　orchard　and　the　home　paddock；

and　this　they　would　do　by　the　hour　together。



One　afternoon　he　had　been　out　with　them　a　long　time；

and　when　James　brought　him　in　and　put　on　his　halter　he　said：



〃There；　you　rogue；　mind　how　you　behave　yourself；　or　we　shall　get

into　trouble。〃



〃What　have　you　been　doing；　Merrylegs？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！〃　said　he；　tossing　his　little　head；　〃I　have　only　been　giving

those　young　people　a　lesson；　they　did　not　know　when　they　had　had　enough；

nor　when　I　had　had　enough；　so　I　just　pitched　them　off　backward；

that　was　the　only　thing　they　could　understand。〃



〃What！〃　said　I；　〃you　threw　the　children　off？　　I　thought　you　did　know　better

than　that！　　Did　you　throw　Miss　Jessie　or　Miss　Flora？〃



He　looked　very　much　offended；　and　said：



〃Of　course　not；　I　would　not　do　such　a　thing　for　the　best　oats

that　ever　came　into　the　stable；　why；　I　am　as　careful　of　our　young　ladies

as　the　master　could　be；　and　as　for　the　little　ones　it　is　I　who　teach　them

to　ride。　　When　they　seem　frightened　or　a　little　unsteady　on　my　back

I　go　as　smooth　and　as　quiet　as　old　pussy　when　she　is　after　a　bird；

and　when　they　are　all　right　I　go　on　again　faster；　you　see；

just　to　use　them　to　it；　so　don't　you　trouble　yourself　preaching　to　me；

I　am　the　best　friend　and　the　best　riding…master　those　children　have。

It　is　not　them；　it　is　the　boys；　boys；〃　said　he；　shaking　his　mane；

〃are　quite　different；　they　must　be　broken　in　as　we　were　broken　in

when　we　were　colts；　and　just　be　taught　what's　what。　　The　other　children

had　ridden　me　about　for　nearly　two　hours；　and　then　the　boys　thought

it　was　their　turn；　and　so　it　was；　and　I　was　quite　agreeable。

They　rode　me　by　turns；　and　I　galloped　them　about；　up　and　down　the　fields

and　all　about　the　orchard；　for　a　good　hour。　　They　had　each　cut

a　great　hazel　stick　for　a　riding…whip；　and　laid　it　on　a　little　too　hard；

but　I　took　it　in　good　part；　till　at　last　I　thought　we　had　had　enough；

so　I　stopped　two　or　three　times　by　way　of　a　hint。　　Boys；　you　see；

think