In the following weeks, with patient and gentle care, Ginger grows happier and gentler at Squire Gordon's. One day, John drives Squire Gordon to town in a dogcart through a bad storm.
The river is rising fast, and Black Beauty wades through knee-high water in one low part of the road. After the long journey and a lengthy business in town, they start for home late in the afternoon in heavy wind.
As they drive along a wood, a tree crashes down across the road forcing them to turn back and go around. It is nearly dark by the time they get to the wooden bridge. The river is high and the middle part of the bridge is under water. Black Beauty stops, feeling there is something wrong. The men urge him forward but he will not budge. Just then the toll-gate keeper on the other side runs out and cries out for them to stop.
The middle part of the bridge had broken and gotten carried off by the strong current. They would all have drowned if Black Beauty had not stopped. When they finally reach home, Black Beauty is rewarded with a good supper and a thick bed of straw to rest on.
Some time later it is decided that James will go to Squire Gordon's brother-in-law to replace his old coachman. James is given plenty of opportunity to practice driving a carriage to prepare himself. Then Squire and Mrs. Grodon have him drive them on a long journey to visit some friends. They spend the night at a hotel on the way and Black Beauty and Ginger are put in the stable.
During the night, a fire starts in the stable. The hostler tries to lead the horses out, but they are too frightened to move. As the fire spreads, Black Beauty hears James' voice speaking calmly and cheerfully to him.
James pats Black Beauty, puts on the bridle, and leads him outside. He then runs back in for Ginger. Black Beauty whinnies after James. Hearing him, Ginger gets up the courage to come out. Squire Gordon is relieved to see the brave James make it out safely with Ginger.
A fourteen-year-old boy named Joe Green takes James' place at the stable. Joe is bright and eager, and John and the horses warm up to him quickly. James teaches Joe all he can before he leaves. A few days later, Black Beauty is awakened in the middle of the night by the stable bell. John rushes to put the saddle and bridle on him. They are sent to fetch the doctor as soon as possible to save the mistress' life. Understanding the urgency, Black Beauty runs as fast as he can for eight miles into town with no whip or spur from John.
They wake the doctor and deliver the message. The doctor has no horse available, so he borrows Black Beauty. Although Black Beauty is tired and very hot, he rushes back with the doctor. After the doctor goes into the house, Joe takes Black Beauty back to the stable. Black Beauty is panting.
His body is steaming hot, and water runs down his shaking legs. Joe gives him cold water and feeds him hey and corn before leaving him. John comes home a while later, having walked the eight miles back from town. He finds Black Beauty moaning in pain lying down in straw. He rushes to put warm cloths on the horse then fetches hot water and warm gruel.
Black Beauty is very ill with fever and inflamed lungs. John nurses the horse for many days and nights. The vet bleeds [1] Black Beauty and comes back every day to tend to him. Joe's father also comes over to help. He tells John that Joe is broken-hearted and cannot even eat.
John is quite sore about it, and he does not take ignorance for an excuse, but he promises to say a kind word to the boy if Black Beauty recovers. Thanks to the care and medicine, Black Beauty recovers from the ordeal. Joe Green learns quickly and earns John's trust. On the way back after delivering the note, they see a man flogging horses struggling to pull a cart laden with bricks. Joe begs the man to stop and offers to help, but the drunk carter will not listen.
Joe and Black Beauty are so angry that they gallop to the master brickmaker's house. Joe tells the brickmaker about the man and asks him to intervene. The brickmaker thanks him and runs out. Later in the day, Joe is called before Squire Gordon, who is one of the county magistrates, to give evidence against the carter.
Joe's clear evidence helps commit the man to stand trial. The quiet Joe suddenly grows up after the incident and becomes a confident young man. After three happy years, Black Beauty learns that things are about to change. Gordon has become so ill that the doctor has ordered her moved to a warm country. Squire Gordon begins to make arrangements to break up his establishment and move the whole family abroad. Black Beauty and Ginger are sold together to the squire's friend, the Earl of W——.
Merrylegs is given to the vicar and Joe goes with him. John receives many offers but decides to look for an opportunity to work with a good colt-breaker, hoping to help young horses get a good start. He tells Mr. York, the Earl's coachman, that Black Beauty has never had the checkrein and Ginger has had trouble with it. The Earl is pleased with the new horses and tells York to put the checkrein on easy to start.
When Black Beauty and Ginger are harnessed for the carriage the first time, the checkreins are put on but not shortened. The next day, however, Lady W—— tells York to shorten the reins. Each day, the reins are shortened one hole at a time, and Black Beauty quickly learns how terrible they are. The checkrein prevents him from lowering and putting his head forward to help pull the weight. With his head pulled up unnaturally high, his neck, back, and legs are strained.
Although he is still determined to do his duty, he begins to dread having the harness put on. One day, her ladyship orders York to raise the horses' heads up immediately. York tightens the rein all the way on Black Beauty first. Then he goes to Ginger. Knowing what he intends to do, Ginger rears up.
She hits York in the nose and goes on kicking and rearing until she falls down, hitting Black Beauty above his hock. York manages to pin her head down. He orders the groom to unhitch Black Beauty and take him away before any more harm is done.
Black Beauty is led back to the stable where he is soon joined by the bruised Ginger. York tends to Black Beauty's injury muttering to himself about the checkreins. After this incident, Ginger is given to the Earl's son for hunting. Black Beauty is partnered with another horse and made to suffer the tight rein for the next four months. In the early spring, the Earl and some of the family leave for London. Black Beauty, Ginger, and some other horses are left behind.
Her brother and other gentlemen like to ride Lizzie, a lively bay mare. One day, Lady Anne decides to try riding Lizzie. A gentleman named Blantyre, who always rides Lizzie, is offered the use of "Black Auster". Blantyre advises Lady Anne against riding Lizzie because he considers the mare "too nervous for a lady". Lady Anne, who is a fine horsewoman, assures him she will be perfectly safe.
They set out together to deliver a message to the village doctor. When they arrive at the doctor's house, Lady Anne decides to wait at the gate. Blantyre hitches Black Beauty to the gate and walks up the path leading to the house. As he gets to the door, some cart horses and young colts come by followed by a boy cracking a whip. One of the colts bolts across the road and bumps up against Lizzie.
Startled, Lizzie dashes off, nearly throwing off Lady Anne. Black Beauty neighs repeatedly and tries to free himself. Blantyre comes running back and spots the horse flying far down the road. He jumps up on Black Beauty and unhooks his rein. With no need for whip or spur, Black Beauty takes off. They chase at full speed, several times losing sight of the runaway horse then spotting her again, but they cannot gain any ground. Then Lizzie turns off to the common and the rough ground finally slows down her pace.
Expertly guided by Blantyre, Black Beauty manages to gain on Lizzie. Lizzie leaps over a dike, stumbles on the rough clods on the other side, and falls. Black Beauty gathers himself and leaps clear of the dike and the rough bank.
They find Lady Anne lying motionless. Blantyre calls over two men working in the distance. He tells one of them to ride Black Beauty to the doctor's then go to the hall to get the carriage. Black Beauty takes the inexperienced rider back at full speed to the doctor's and back to the hall. He learns afterwards that Lady Anne has survived and is expected to recover. Blantyre praises him and says Lady Anne should never ride any other horse. Ruben Smith, the man left in charge while York is in London with the Earl, is a great groom and liked by everyone.
He was, however, once dismissed for his drinking problem. Having promised never to touch another drink, he has since been given another chance. In early April, Smith takes Black Beauty and drives Blantyre to the train station in a light brougham.
As he departs, Blantyre gives Smith some money. Smith goes to the inn and leaves Black Beauty with the hostler to be fed and prepared for the return trip.
Smith comes back later and tells the hostler that he has met some old friends and will be delayed. The hostler tells Smith that a nail in Black Beauty's front shoe is coming loose, but Smith tells the hostler, in an uncharacteristically offhand manner, to leave it alone. It is several hours later when Smith returns to get Black Beauty. He speaks angrily to the hostler and the innkeeper in a loud and rough voice before speeding off.
Ruben Smith lies motionless, illustration from the first edition of Black Beauty Smith whips Black Beauty even though he is already galloping at full speed. He is too drunk to notice when the loose shoe falls off. Black Beauty is forced to gallop along a road which had recently been laid with fresh, sharp stones.
His hoof splits, and the terrible pain causes him to fall on his knees. Smith, hurled off violently, groans then lies motionless on the deserted road. It is nearly midnight when two men come looking for Reuben Smith. They find Smith's body with Black Beauty standing beside it. One of the men takes the body back on the dogcart while the other wraps the horse's injured foot and leads him back slowly to the stable.
Parker's Books, Inc. Published [ca. Seller Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books Published ca. Condition Tiny chips to wrappers; front wrapper neatly reattached with tissue; very nice copy of a fragile item. Edition Early American edition.
Condition In very good condition. Lacks dust jacket; covers and corners slightly worn. Seller Gene W. Seller L. Seller MW Books Ltd. Published Condition Good copy in the original gilt-blocked cloth. The author disliked towns and cities and Black Beauty captures the unease that found a voice during the Industrial Revolution, as people became concerned about the loss of country ways and tradition.
The village of Buxton in the middle of the Bure Valley was a place of inspiration, as was Old Catton, where she spent the last decade of her life.
She and her parents moved into the Georgian White House on Spixworth Road in , having returned to Norfolk to help and support her brother Philip, the widowed father of seven children. It was here that she wrote Black Beauty; she also kept bees. At the time, Old Catton was a village on the edge of Norwich. Philip owned land nearby, at Clare House, where he kept a horse named Black Bess. The barn still stands and is now the venue for the Sewell Barn Theatre. Ada Sewell her cousin erected it in — it origin-ally served as a horse trough and, today, it brims with flowers.
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