Westoodaboutfifteenandahalfhandshigh;wewerethereforejustasgoodforridingaswewerefordriving,andourmasterusedtosaythathedislikedeitherhorseormanthatcoulddobutonething;andashedidnotwanttoshowoffinLondonparks,hepreferredamoreactiveandusefulkindofhorse.
Asforus,ourgreatestpleasurewaswhenweweresaddledforaridingparty;themasteronGinger,themistressonme,andtheyoungladiesonSirOliverandMerrylegs.
Ihadthebestofit,forIalwayscarriedthemistress;herweightwaslittle,hervoicewassweet,andherhandwassolightonthereinthatIwasguidedalmostwithoutfeelingit.
Oh!ifpeopleknewwhatacomforttohorsesalighthandis,andhowitkeepsagoodmouthandagoodtemper,theysurelywouldnotchuck,anddrag,andpullatthereinastheyoftendo.
Ourmouthsaresotenderthatwheretheyhavenotbeenspoiledorhardenedwithbadorignoranttreatment,theyfeeltheslightestmovementofthedriver'shand,andweknowinaninstantwhatisrequiredofus.
Mymouthhasneverbeenspoiled,andIbelievethatwaswhythemistresspreferredmetoGinger,althoughherpaceswerecertainlyquiteasgood.
Sheusedoftentoenvyme,andsaiditwasallthefaultofbreakingin,andthegagbitinLondon,thathermouthwasnotsoperfectasmine;andthenoldSirOliverwouldsay,"There,there!
don'tvexyourself;youhavethegreatesthonor;amarethatcancarryatallmanofourmaster'sweight,withallyourspringandsprightlyaction,doesnotneedtoholdherheaddownbecauseshedoesnotcarrythelady;wehorsesmusttakethingsastheycome,andalwaysbecontentedandwillingsolongaswearekindlyused."
IhadoftenwonderedhowitwasthatSirOliverhadsuchaveryshorttail;itreallywasonlysixorsevenincheslong,withatasselofhairhangingfromit;andononeofourholidaysintheorchardIventuredtoaskhimbywhataccidentitwasthathehadlosthistail."Accident!"
WhenIwasyoungIwastakentoaplacewherethesecruelthingsweredone;Iwastiedup,andmadefastsothatIcouldnotstir,andthentheycameandcutoffmylongandbeautifultail,throughthefleshandthroughthebone,andtookitaway.
"Dreadful,ah!itwasdreadful;butitwasnotonlythepain,thoughthatwasterribleandlastedalongtime;itwasnotonlytheindignityofhavingmybestornamenttakenfromme,thoughthatwasbad;butitwasthis,howcouldIeverbrushthefliesoffmysidesandmyhindlegsanymore?
Youwhohavetailsjustwhiskthefliesoffwithoutthinkingaboutit,andyoucan'ttellwhatatormentitistohavethemsettleuponyouandstingandsting,andhavenothingintheworldtolashthemoffwith.
ifyouknowwhatthatmeans;therewasnotawell-bredyounghorseinmytimethathadnothistaildockedinthatshamefulway,justasifthegoodGodthatmadeusdidnotknowwhatwewantedandwhatlookedbest."
"IsupposeitisfashionthatmakesthemstrapourheadsupwiththosehorridbitsthatIwastorturedwithinLondon,"saidGinger.
Nowlook,forinstance,atthewaytheyservedogs,cuttingofftheirtailstomakethemlookplucky,andshearinguptheirprettylittleearstoapointtomakethembothlooksharp,forsooth.
Shewassofondofmethatsheneverwouldsleepoutofmystall;shemadeherbedunderthemanger,andthereshehadalitteroffiveasprettylittlepuppiesasneedbe;noneweredrowned,fortheywereavaluablekind,andhowpleasedshewaswiththem!
andwhentheygottheireyesopenandcrawledabout,itwasarealprettysight;butonedaythemancameandtookthemallaway;IthoughthemightbeafraidIshouldtreaduponthem.
Butitwasnotso;intheeveningpoorSkyebroughtthembackagain,onebyoneinhermouth;notthehappylittlethingsthattheywere,butbleedingandcryingpitifully;theyhadallhadapieceoftheirtailscutoff,andthesoftflapoftheirprettylittleearswascutquiteoff.
Theyhealedintime,andtheyforgotthepain,butthenicesoftflap,thatofcoursewasintendedtoprotectthedelicatepartoftheirearsfromdustandinjury,wasgoneforever.
SirOliver,thoughhewassogentle,wasafieryoldfellow,andwhathesaidwasallsonewtome,andsodreadful,thatIfoundabitterfeelingtowardmenriseupinmymindthatIneverhadbefore.
OfcourseGingerwasverymuchexcited;sheflungupherheadwithflashingeyesanddistendednostrils,declaringthatmenwerebothbrutesandblockheads.
"Whotalksaboutblockheads?"saidMerrylegs,whojustcameupfromtheoldapple-tree,wherehehadbeenrubbinghimselfagainstthelowbranch."Whotalksaboutblockheads?Ibelievethatisabadword."
"Itisalltrue,"saidMerrylegssadly,"andI'veseenthataboutthedogsoverandoveragainwhereIlivedfirst;butwewon'ttalkaboutithere.
Youknowthatmaster,andJohnandJamesarealwaysgoodtous,andtalkingagainstmeninsuchaplaceasthisdoesn'tseemfairorgrateful,andyouknowtherearegoodmastersandgoodgroomsbesideours,thoughofcourseoursarethebest."
ThiswisespeechofgoodlittleMerrylegs,whichweknewwasquitetrue,cooledusalldown,especiallySirOliver,whowasdearlyfondofhismaster;andtoturnthesubjectIsaid,"Cananyonetellmetheuseofblinkers?"
"Theyaresupposed,"saidJustice,theroancob,inhiscalmway,"topreventhorsesfromshyingandstarting,andgettingsofrightenedastocauseaccidents."
"Thereisnoreasonatall,"saidhequietly,"exceptthefashion;theysaythatahorsewouldbesofrightenedtoseethewheelsofhisowncartorcarriagecomingbehindhimthathewouldbesuretorunaway,althoughofcoursewhenheisriddenheseesthemallabouthimifthestreetsarecrowded.
Iadmittheydosometimescometooclosetobepleasant,butwedon'trunaway;weareusedtoit,andunderstandit,andifweneverhadblinkersputonweshouldneverwantthem;weshouldseewhatwasthere,andknowwhatwaswhat,andbemuchlessfrightenedthanbyonlyseeingbitsofthingsthatwecan'tunderstand.
Ofcoursetheremaybesomenervoushorseswhohavebeenhurtorfrightenedwhentheywereyoung,whomaybethebetterforthem;butasIneverwasnervous,Ican'tjudge."
"Iconsider,"saidSirOliver,"thatblinkersaredangerousthingsinthenight;wehorsescanseemuchbetterinthedarkthanmencan,andmanyanaccidentwouldneverhavehappenedifhorsesmighthavehadthefulluseoftheireyes.
Someyearsago,Iremember,therewasahearsewithtwohorsesreturningonedarknight,andjustbyFarmerSparrow'shouse,wherethepondisclosetotheroad,thewheelswenttooneartheedge,andthehearsewasoverturnedintothewater;boththehorsesweredrowned,andthedriverhardlyescaped.
Ofcourseafterthisaccidentastoutwhiterailwasputupthatmightbeeasilyseen,butifthosehorseshadnotbeenpartlyblinded,theywouldofthemselveshavekeptfurtherfromtheedge,andnoaccidentwouldhavehappened.
Whenourmaster'scarriagewasoverturned,beforeyoucamehere,itwassaidthatifthelampontheleftsidehadnotgoneout,Johnwouldhaveseenthegreatholethattheroad-makershadleft;andsohemight,butifoldColinhadnothadblinkersonhewouldhaveseenit,lampornolamp,forhewasfartooknowinganoldhorsetorunintodanger.
"Ishouldsay,"saidGinger,curlinghernostril,"thatthesemen,whoaresowise,hadbettergiveordersthatinthefutureallfoalsshouldbebornwiththeireyessetjustinthemiddleoftheirforeheads,insteadofontheside;theyalwaysthinktheycanimproveuponnatureandmendwhatGodhasmade."
Thingsweregettingrathersoreagain,whenMerrylegshelduphisknowinglittlefaceandsaid,"I'lltellyouasecret:IbelieveJohndoesnotapproveofblinkers;Iheardhimtalkingwithmasteraboutitoneday.
Themastersaidthat'ifhorseshadbeenusedtothem,itmightbedangerousinsomecasestoleavethemoff';andJohnsaidhethoughtitwouldbeagoodthingifallcoltswerebrokeninwithoutblinkers,aswasthecaseinsomeforeigncountries.
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