Black Beauty Read Free Page A

hall. My master said, "Good-by, Darkie; be a good horse, and
always do your best." I could not say "good-by", so I put my nose
into his hand; he patted me kindly, and I left my first home. As I
lived some years with Squire Gordon, I may as well tell something
about the place.
    Squire Gordon's park skirted the village of Birtwick. It was
entered by a large iron gate, at which stood the first lodge, and
then you trotted along on a smooth road between clumps of large old
trees; then another lodge and another gate, which brought you to
the house and the gardens. Beyond this lay the home paddock, the
old orchard, and the stables. There was accommodation for many
horses and carriages; but I need only describe the stable into
which I was taken; this was very roomy, with four good stalls; a
large swinging window opened into the yard, which made it pleasant
and airy.
    The first stall was a large square one, shut in behind with a
wooden gate; the others were common stalls, good stalls, but not
nearly so large; it had a low rack for hay and a low manger for
corn; it was called a loose box, because the horse that was put
into it was not tied up, but left loose, to do as he liked. It is a
great thing to have a loose box.
    Into this fine box the groom put me; it was clean, sweet, and
airy. I never was in a better box than that, and the sides were not
so high but that I could see all that went on through the iron
rails that were at the top.
    He gave me some very nice oats, he patted me, spoke kindly, and
then went away.
    When I had eaten my corn I looked round. In the stall next to
mine stood a little fat gray pony, with a thick mane and tail, a
very pretty head, and a pert little nose.
    I put my head up to the iron rails at the top of my box, and
said, "How do you do? What is your name?"
    He turned round as far as his halter would allow, held up his
head, and said, "My name is Merrylegs. I am very handsome; I carry
the young ladies on my back, and sometimes I take our mistress out
in the low chair. They think a great deal of me, and so does James.
Are you going to live next door to me in the box?"
    I said, "Yes."
    "Well, then," he said, "I hope you are good-tempered; I do not
like any one next door who bites."
    Just then a horse's head looked over from the stall beyond; the
ears were laid back, and the eye looked rather ill-tempered. This
was a tall chestnut mare, with a long handsome neck. She looked
across to me and said:
    "So it is you who have turned me out of my box; it is a very
strange thing for a colt like you to come and turn a lady out of
her own home."
    "I beg your pardon," I said, "I have turned no one out; the man
who brought me put me here, and I had nothing to do with it; and as
to my being a colt, I am turned four years old and am a grown-up
horse. I never had words yet with horse or mare, and it is my wish
to live at peace."
    "Well," she said, "we shall see. Of course, I do not want to
have words with a young thing like you." I said no more.
    In the afternoon, when she went out, Merrylegs told me all about
it.
    "The thing is this," said Merrylegs. "Ginger has a bad habit of
biting and snapping; that is why they call her Ginger, and when she
was in the loose box she used to snap very much. One day she bit
James in the arm and made it bleed, and so Miss Flora and Miss
Jessie, who are very fond of me, were afraid to come into the
stable. They used to bring me nice things to eat, an apple or a
carrot, or a piece of bread, but after Ginger stood in that box
they dared not come, and I missed them very much. I hope they will
now come again, if you do not bite or snap."
    I told him I never bit anything but grass, hay, and corn, and
could not think what pleasure Ginger found it.
    "Well, I don't think she does find pleasure," says Merrylegs;
"it is just a bad habit; she says no one was ever kind to her, and
why should she not bite? Of course, it is a very bad habit; but I
am sure, if all she says be true, she must have been very