ginger's story - a prequel to black beauty

Chapter 6 - The Better place

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. “ In the end of it was that I came to Birtwick Park. I met many people who I could not trust or man. There was another horse named merry legs who has been here for a long time. Merry legs had two little friend named Miss Jessie and miss flora. The stable had two men who were full of kindness but I settled in my mind that all men were enemies and I must defend for myself. 

.  One day as a young gentleman named James came to groom me I bit him in the arm and made it bleed. The other stable man who was called John told him to try me with kindness. I was expecting punishment but James came out of the room full of food and came in with his arms bond up and gave me a bran mash, and lots of kind words and gentle pats.  Of course it is very different here, but who knows how long it will last? Another horse came in who was all black and was a young colt with a star on his head.  The colt was talking to merry legs and merrylegs 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?” the colt said “yes.”  ‘Well, then,” he said, “I hope you are good-tempered; I do not like any one next door who bites.” I put my ears back at that horrible comment I looked across to the colt 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.” He stated I beg your pardon,” he 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.” I stated back. “ Well,” I said, “we shall see. Of course, I do not want to have words with a young thing like you.”