Black Beauty 56 min | Stories for Kids | Classic Story | Bedtime Stories

[Music] little fox [Music] black beauty chapter one my first home what is it like to be a horse i can tell you because i've been one all my life and what a life it has been the first thing i remember is the field where i was born it had plenty of grass a pond and trees for shade there was a shed at one end where we could stand when it was cold outside the fence lay more fields a stream and our master's house my mother's name was duchess and she was a favorite of the master because of her sweet nature whenever she saw him she would nay and trot over to greet him there were other mares and foals in the field as well i ran and played with the other males these cults were all older and bigger than me sometimes their play turned rough with lots of kicking inviting one day my mother called me away from them i hope you will grow up gentle and kind she told me i do not want you to bite or kick even in play you should always be good and do your work as well as you can i never forgot this advice from my mother our master's name was farmer grey he always had kind words and pats for all the horses he was kind and fair to his workers as well one of those workers was a boy named dick [Music] sometimes after dick finished his work he came into our field to pick berries and sometimes that wasn't the only thing he did hey you he yelled at us one day i was grazing nearby with the other cults we all looked up at the sound of his voice one of the bigger cults took a step toward him i could tell the cult was hoping for a treat like the ones farmer grey often brought us go on dick shouted i want to see you run then he threw a stick at the big cup it hit him hard on the chest the cult was so surprised that he snorted whirled around and kicked up his heels then he galloped off toward the mares who were grazing at the other end of the field that made the rest of us run too behind us i heard dick laughing loudly after that dick often hurled sticks and stones at us to make us run once we understood his game we stayed far enough away so he couldn't hit us but once in a while a stone would hit me and it hurt none of us liked that boy very much one day dick began his game as usual but he didn't know that farmer gray was in the next field when our master saw what was going on he rushed over and grabbed dick by the arm bad boy he scolded dick sternly i can tell this is not the first time you've chased the colts but it will be the last time you're fired that was the last time we saw dick other than dick's visits most of our days were quiet and pleasant yet there was one other incident that i had never forgotten i was grazing in the field with the other cults we all looked up when we heard dogs howling in the distance the oldest cult pricked his ears and listened those are the hounds he said cantering over to the fence the rest of us followed what's happening i asked my mother who stood there looking out it's the hunt she told me humans sometimes chase rabbits and foxes on horseback the hounds help them follow the trail we all watched as the hunters came into sight the hounds came first racing after a speedy rabbit next came a group of riders the rabbit scampered down the hill and leaped across the stream the hounds followed most of the horses jumped the stream easily but one slipped on the grass and fell down his rider a handsome young man was flung off he landed hard and lay still on the grass the others returned to check on him but he never got up and finally they carried him away later we heard that the fallen rider was george gordon he was the only son of squire gordon the richest man in the area george had broken his neck and died in the fall when my mother heard the news she looked sad i don't understand why people are so interested in hunting she said then again we're only horses who expects us to understand the ways of humans i didn't know the answer to that but soon i would learn more about the mysterious ways of humans when i left that pleasant field behind forever [Music] black beauty chapter 2 being trained i was almost 4 years old when farmer gray brought another man to see me it was squire gordon what a fine looking horse the squire said gazing at me indeed i was growing up to be very handsome i was jet black except for one white hoof and a white star on my forehead i'll start training him soon farmer gray said i like to let horses grow up before i ride them boys should not work like men squire gordon chuckled and then looked into my eyes he gently opened my mouth to examine my teeth and ran his hands up and down my legs may i see how he moves he asked of course farmer gray replied i walked trotted and cantered while the two men watched when i finished the squire looked pleased please call me when he's trained he said this horse is exactly what i'm looking for the next day i began my training i already knew how to do lots of things i could wear a halter and walk calmly beside a human i could pick up my feet nicely so my hooves could be trimmed but now i found there was much more to learn first came the bridle which looked a little like a halter but there was one big difference the bit that was a piece of metal attached to the leather straps imagine my surprise when farmer gray put the bit into my mouth i tried to spit it right back out [Applause] but farmer gray used kind words and some grain to convince me not to do so still having the bit in my mouth was a very strange feeling i did not like it at all next farmer grace sat a saddle gently on my back there was a strap that he fastened under my body to hold the saddle in place i didn't mind that too much especially when he gave me more grain after that farmer grace saddled and bridled me every day and led me around he also gave me extra grain along with lots of pats and kind words before long i look forward to my training sessions then one day farmer gray lifted himself into the saddle and sat on my back it felt strange but i could hear his voice talking to me from up there so i wasn't afraid soon farmer gray was riding me around the farm every day then he brought out a driving harness my mother and the other adult horses wore this harness whenever they were hooked to a cart or carriage the harness had a stiff heavy collar and a bridle with two squares of leather called blinkers attached to it with the blinkers on i could see straight ahead but not to the sides more harness pieces crossed my body and a stiff strap went under my tail the tail strap was called a cropper and i liked it even less than the bit the first time farmer gray put the cropper on me i felt like kicking but my mother had taught me well and i kept my feet on the ground i almost forgot to mention one more part of my training my master sent me to a nearby farm for a couple of weeks i was put out in a field with some sheep and cows there was plenty of delicious grass so i started to eat then i heard a roar in the distance seconds later a huge noisy black monster rushed into view it terrified me so much that i galloped to the far end of the field to my surprise though the sheep and cows didn't react at all i soon found out that the monster was called a train and i learned why none of the other animals seem to notice the noise trains raced past that field several times every day at first i ran away each time then i stopped running and just lifted my head to watch finally i got used to the trains just as i'd grown used to the bit the saddle the harness and even the cropper i returned home and farmer gray started hooking me to a cart and driving me around the neighborhood he usually hitched my mother beside me she was a good calm horse who helped to teach me what to do you're learning fast my son she told me i'm glad because the better you behave the better humans will treat you what do you mean i asked her farmer gray always treats all the horses well yes she agreed but other humans aren't always as kind as our master i wasn't sure why i should worry about what other humans were like but later i would find out more about that [Music] black beauty chapter 3 new friends and a new name [Music] one morning after breakfast a young man came into the stable with farmer gray here he is my master said stopping in front of my stall the stranger peered in at me what a handsome horse i'm not surprised the squire chose him yes i'm sure he'll enjoy this horse farmer gray said i will certainly miss him when he goes the farmer led me out and gave me a pat i didn't understand what was going on or why his eyes looked sad but i put my nose into his hand to try to make him feel better goodbye boy my master said be a good horse and always do your best [Music] then he handed my lead rope to the other man the stranger and i walked out through the farm gates my mother and some of the other horses made to me from the pasture soon we turned in through another gate and i saw a fine estate this was my new home berkwick park the man leading me was james the head groom he put me into a large airy stall and gave me a handful of grain there you go he said kindly i better go tell the squire you're here there were four stalls in this part of the stable and mine was the largest in a smaller stall stood a fat gray pony he had a thick mane and tail and a pretty head hello i said what's your name i marry legs the pony said i am very handsome so the young ladies love to ride me or drive me in a cart are you going to live next door to me now i think so i answered i hope you're a nice horse merry leg said i don't like living next door to anyone who bites he looked over at the stall on his other side a chestnut mare with a long graceful neck stood there [Music] so you're the one who took my stall she snapped how dare you put a lady out of her home excuse me but i did no such thing i said politely the man who brought me here put me in the stall i truly had no choice in the matter don't worry about her merry legs said quietly as the mayor turned away ginger knows it's her own fault she was moved out of that stall she has a bad habit of biting and the young ladies were becoming afraid to visit me they won't have to worry about me i said the only things i bite are grass hay and grain why does ginger bite she says no one was ever nice to her before mary like said john and james hope she'll be better tempered now that she's here [Music] the next day john manley led me out of my stall john was the head coachman james and the other stable hands worked for him john had kind eyes and a calm manner he groomed me from head to hoof making my dark coat gleam he was almost finished when the squire arrived hello john the squire said i wanted to try out my new horse this morning but i'm too busy would you ride him for me and let me know how he goes of course sir john said he brought out a saddle along with a bridle when he set the saddle on my back it pinched my shoulders luckily john immediately saw that it didn't fit he took it away and brought out a different one [Music] john was a very good rider and i was happy to do exactly what he asked we walked for a while and then we trotted finally he urged me into a fast gallop we were riding back toward the stable when we passed the squire walking with his wife how was your eye john the squire asked very good sir john answered sounding pleased it's obvious the horse has been well treated and well trained excellent the squire said i'll try them myself tomorrow the next day the squire took his turn on me he was a good rider too and we had a pleasant ride when we passed the house his wife came out how do you like him she asked i've never ridden a finer horse the squire replied now all this fellow needs is a name should we call him blackbird like your uncle's old horse his wife asked the squire shook his head he is handsomer than blackbird ever was he really is a beauty his wife agreed we could call him black beauty black beauty the squire said thoughtfully i like it and so i had a new home and a new name [Music] black beauty chapter 4 getting used to things [Music] in some ways life at berkwick park was a lot like life at farmer grey's the people were kind and i had plenty to eat and drink i was frequently ridden and hitched to the carriage but in other ways things were different for one thing i wasn't hitched beside my mother anymore my new partner was ginger the tall chestnut mare the first time we were hitched together i couldn't help being worried what if we didn't get along what if she wouldn't pull her share of the weight as soon as we got started i felt much better ginger was an honest worker she did her full share of the work even while going uphill in fact we made a good team at first she didn't have much to say to me but after we'd been out together a few times we started to become friends mary leggs and i were friends from the first day i arrived he was so cheerful friendly and sociable that he made me feel right at home the squire's daughters jesse and flora came to visit him almost every day they love to ride him around the orchard or take him driving there were also two other horses on the estate they lived in a different part of the stable but sometimes we all grazed together in the orchard the first horse was called justice he was a sturdy horse who was used for riding and driving the second was sir oliver an elderly brown horse he was too old to work much anymore but he was so gentle and reliable that the squire sometimes used him to carry one of his daughters when the whole family rode together sir oliver was just as careful with the little girls as merry legs himself as i said i got to know these two when all the horses were put out together in the old orchard sadly though this didn't happen nearly often enough for me that was the biggest change of all in my life at berkley park for my first four years i got to run and play as much as i liked in my pleasant field but now i spent most of my time standing in my stall it was large and airy but it was still boring compared to that big grassy field i only got to go out in the orchard once a week or so i don't mean to complain james john and the squire treated me very well but i was a young horse with a lot of energy and spirit i was used to being able to gallop around whenever i felt the urge now i had to stay still and behave myself no matter how much energy i had it was very difficult sometimes john was usually the one to exercise me when the squire didn't need me himself one day when he saddled me up i was feeling extra lively i hadn't had much exercise that week and it was almost impossible to stay quiet i couldn't help prancing as soon as john mounted steady my boy he said with a laugh let's just get out of the stable yard then i'll let you trot all right i was almost bursting out of my skin but i stayed at a prancing walk as he rode me out of the yard once we reached a quiet lane he let me move into a brisk trot that was better i surged forward eagerly and after a few miles i felt much calmer there you go black beauty john gave me a pat as he brought me back to a walk i think you needed that he was right i felt like a different horse calm and content i was happy to walk along quietly as he turned us back toward home john kept talking to me as we rode or maybe he was talking to himself it's sometimes hard to tell with people either way i prick my ears to listen to his soothing voice a spirited horse like you isn't meant to stand around without enough exercise john said some people might see you prancing around and think you're a nervous horse but i know that all you need is to move after all that's what horses were made to do having to stand in my stall so much made me enjoy my time in the orchard even more it was pleasant out there with grass to nibble and shade from the old trees usually all the horses were turned out together that gave me a chance to get to know the others better and i soon discovered that they had some amazing though sad stories to tell especially ginger [Music] black beauty chapter 5 jinger's story as i've said ginger wasn't terribly friendly toward me at first but the longer we worked together the better we got along one warm afternoon we were out in the orchard ginger and i stood under the big chestnut tree while the other horses grazed i told her about my life before coming to berkwick park you're lucky she said when i finished if i'd grown up with your farmer gray i might have a good temper too but i'm afraid it's too late for me what do you mean i asked my life has been very different from yours she said before coming here no one was ever kind to me i was taken from my mother as early as possible and put him with several other young horses we had food and shelter but that was all there were no kind words or paths like you had that's too bad i said feeling sorry for her yes and you just told me that your master chased away a boy who threw rocks at you she said well a whole group of boys used to throw things at us to make us run [Music] and if my master ever noticed he didn't seem to care one colt even got hit in the face the poor horse probably still has a scar oh no i said softly at least you had a pasture to play in i added a moment later looking around the orchard that must have been nice i suppose so ginger said but when it was time for my training things got much worse do you mean when you had to wear a bit i asked it took me a while to get used to that she swished her tail i mean all of it when the men came to catch me in the field they were in a hurry they chased me into a corner then one of them grabbed my mane and another grabbed my nose they held me still while a third man put on my halter [Applause] [Music] then they all dragged me off to the stable hitting me when i didn't go fast enough there was more to ginger's story she explained how she had been shut up in a stall day after day the men had handled her roughly while training her they never let her understand what they wanted before forcing her to do things [Music] often they made her run around at the end of a long rope until she was completely exhausted [Music] when she didn't behave perfectly while being ridden they put a painful new bit in her mouth [Music] what a terrible way to get trained i said ginger snorted in agreement things didn't get any better once her training was finished her first master sold her to a horse dealer the dealer wanted me to match another chestnut horse she said [Music] [Applause] he drove us together for a while and then sold us to a rich gentleman in london our new owner liked to drive with a very tight check grain what's a check rain i asked you're lucky not to know jinger said it's an extra rain that forces a horse to hold her head up very high i like to toss my head and hold it high but it's tiring to be forced to do it i didn't really understand what she meant but it sounded very unpleasant i stayed quiet as she continued her story my new master used a harsh bit as well she said and we often had to stand for hours waiting for the mistress outside a party if i dare to stamp my hooves or move the coachman whipped me how terrible i exclaimed soon i began to kick or bite whenever anyone came to harness me i was miserable and sore all the time one day i couldn't take anymore when they hitched me i started to jump and kick i soon broke free and that was the end of that place is that when you came here i asked no i was sold to a different gentleman whose groom was impatient and cruel if i didn't do as he ordered right away he hit me with a broom or whatever else was handy one day i bit him soon after that i was sold again and ended up here it was a very sad tale when she was finished telling me about her past we just stood there for a while watching the other horses but the longer we all lived at bertwick park the calmer and more relaxed ginger became the men noticed it too that horse is getting much better james said one day after ginger let him rub her forehead she'll be as good as black beauty soon john agreed kindness is all she wanted after all [Music] black beauty chapter 6 a lesson from merry legs [Music] the squire's daughters jesse and flora liked to play with all the children in the neighborhood the other children loved mary legs just as much as the girls did the cheerful gray pony often spent hours giving them all rides in the orchard or up and down the drive one afternoon he spent an especially long time with them finally james led merry legs back into the stable there you go you little rascal the groom said with a chuckle as he pulled off the pony saddle and bridle you'd better behave yourself better next time otherwise we will both get in deep trouble when the young man had left i looked into the pony stall what have you been doing merry legs i asked him merry legs tossed his pretty little head nothing much he said just teaching some young humans a lesson that's all ginger looked up from the rack where she stood eating hay what do you mean she asked they couldn't tell when i'd had enough he said so i tossed them off backward that was the only way to make them understand what i cried are you saying you threw off miss jessie or miss flora of course not merry legs look offended i would never do that i take better care of those young ladies than their own parents do and i'm always patient with the smaller children no matter how much they squeal or bounce on my back i'm the one who teaches them all to ride yes that's what everyone says i said it was the older boys who needed the lesson this time merry legs went on in case you don't know boys need to be trained as much as we horses do when we're colts they need to be taught what's right i see i said but what happened i'm trying to tell you merry legs tossed his head again the other children rode me for a couple of hours as usual finally the older boys decided it was their turn at first i had no problem with that i carried them around one at a time galloping through the fields and orchard just as they wished this went on for at least another hour you must have been tired by then jinger said a little merry legs said but i know my job and i was happy to do it even though the boys had made a whip out of a large twig they found they used it a bit too much but i put up with it for a while they ran me around and around as fast as i could go whipping me all the way finally though i decided i'd had enough so i stopped a few times to give them the hint but all they did was whip me even more oh dear i said those silly boys never stop to think that a pony can get tired or have any feelings at all merry legs said they treated me like an old bicycle finally i decided it was time to help them understand it was wrong [Music] so i stood up on my hind legs just enough to tip my rider off over my hind end that's all did they understand then i asked not at first merry legs said calmly i had to tip each of the boys off a few more times but finally they began to catch on [Music] and when they brought me to james and complained he was annoyed to see their homemade whip he said they didn't need anything like that to ride me ginger tossed her head if they tried any of that with me i would have given them a good kick i'm sure you would have merry legs said but that's because you've never been in a place that treated you kindly until now anyway i'm not like you that's why the squire trusts me so completely with the little girls the other parents trust me too they know i would never hurt their children besides those boys are not bad boys they don't mean to be cruel they only needed a lesson that's all i suppose it's your job to teach them i said thoughtfully yes it is merry legs agreed and i want to do a good job the people here have treated me kindly for the past five years and i would never do anything to make them angry if i suddenly started kicking children for acting like children where would i be sold off in a hurry that's where and none of us want that i suppose that mary legs was right about that none of us wanted to be sold to another owner we were all happy at bertwick park even ginger and hope that we could stay there forever [Music] black beauty chapter 7 horse talk and human talk [Music] one of my favorite tasks at burkwick park was carrying the mistress when the whole family rode together the little girls would take turns on merry legs and sir oliver while the squire usually rode ginger i knew that the lady preferred me to ginger because my mouth was more sensitive making me easier and more pleasant to ride that made ginger envy me [Music] it's all because of the cruel men who trained me she complained one day in the orchard wise old sir oliver heard her and said don't be so hard on yourself you carry the squire's weight easily and still maintain your gates your fine ways of walking that's nothing to be ashamed of besides we horses should be content and willing as long as we're treated kindly he switched his tail for emphasis sir oliver's tail was very short only six or seven inches long i'd often wondered what accident had shortened it and so i asked him now accident sir oliver let out a fear snort it was no accident when i was young my original owner had it cut off on purpose flesh bone and all [Music] that's awful i exclaimed indeed it was sir oliver agreed and it was not only the pain though that was bad enough i i'm left without enough tail to brush the flies off my sides and hind legs the rest of you can't imagine what that's like they can bite me all day long and i'm helpless to flick them away as you can without thinking about it but why did they cut off your tail jinger asked for fashion sir oliver replied nothing more it must be fashion that makes some humans strap our heads up with the check rain as well ginger said yes it's also fashion that makes them strap those blinkers to our heads when we drive so we can't see anything to the sides sir oliver replied justice looked up from his grazing the blinkers are supposed to prevent horses from shining and causing accidents he said in his calm way then why don't they put them on riding horses i asked i suppose that's because of fashion justice admitted true blinkers are especially dangerous at night when horses can see better than humans sir oliver said i have heard of many accidents that could have been prevented if the horse had been able to see all around him we horses were not the only ones who thought badly of such things the squire might still put blinkers on us when we hold a cart or carriage but he disliked czech reigns as much as ginger did one day out on the road the squire and i passed a team of fine horses the driver was a friend of the squires he asked the squire what he thought of the new team they're a handsome pair the squire replied but i see you still insist on lessening their power oh you mean the check rain the other man said i like to see my horses hold their heads up so do i but i prefer to see them do so on their own the squire said besides if you don't let them throw all their weight into their work it wears them out faster maybe you're right my friend the other man said i don't promise to change my ways but i do promise to think about what you said [Music] the squire tried to discourage people from being cruel to animals in any way he could for instance one day we were riding toward home we came into view of the berkwick park gate just in time to see a pony cart approaching the delicate little pony was being driven by a large strong man when the cart neared the gate the pony turned toward it with a growl the man yanked the pony's head around so strongly that the pony almost fell over but the pony recovered and started forward again the man wasn't satisfied with that he lifted his whip and began lashing the pony cruelly the squire urged me forward until we were beside the cart mr sawyer he called in a stern voice is that pony made of flesh and blood yes and temper too the other man retorted i didn't ask him to turn there he needs to learn to do only as i say you've driven that pony to my place many times the squire said how could he know you weren't going there again remembering the turn only shows his intelligence but that's not the point your cruel treatment of that creature shows your own poor character sawyer didn't respond to that but he stopped whipping the pony and drove on leaving me glad to have such a kind master [Music] black beauty chapter 8 danger in the storm one late autumn day john hitched me to the high wheeled cart then he and the squire climbed in and we drove out through the gate the squire had to go to a certain town on business the town was several hours away but i didn't mind the work the cart was light and easy to pull and the weather was brisk and cool it had rained a lot recently so there were puddles everywhere the wind blew fallen leaves across the road in colorful showers soon we reached the first toll bridge [Applause] the river was high because of all the rain the flat wooden bridge was just a few inches above the water but the toll keeper stepped out of his hut the river still rising he told the squire and john i'm afraid it could be a bad night the squire looked out at the bridge your bridge has strong rails on both sides he said i doubt you'll have any trouble here but we'll be careful we crossed the bridge and continued on our way when we reached the town john took me to a local stable to rest and eat while the squire went to take care of his business by the time the squire reappeared it was late afternoon we started for home the wind is getting worse john said as we drove out of town i don't think we've ever been out in such a terrible storm the road passed some fields and then entered a forest the wind whipped the tree branches around overhead making me a little nervous the squire also sounded nervous as he spoke i wish we were out of this forest he said me too john agreed i hope none of these branches fall on us just as he spoke there was a loud crack above us a second later a large limb crashed down onto the road ahead blocking our way the noise and surprise startled me terribly i stopped short and trembled many horses would have spun around and run away but i had learned not to do that and so i stood as still as i could john jumped out and hurried to my head good boy he said it's okay there's nothing to fear it missed us yes but barely the squire said and now we can't go on what should we do they decided we would have to go back to the last crossroads and take a different way home we did just that but it took a long time by the time we reached the toll bridge again it was almost dark we approached the bridge at a steady walk but as soon as my feet touch the wooden boards i stopped short i could feel that there was something different about the bridge something was wrong go on beauty called the squire he flicked the whip lightly to urge me forward but the bridge felt so strange i stayed where i was the squire flicked the whip again it stung me a little harder this time making me jump in place still i didn't dare take a step farther onto the bridge wait sir john said maybe there's something wrong he jumped out of the cart and walked up to my head what's the matter beauty he asked in his soothing way come on let's go at that moment the toll keeper burst out of his hut on the far side of the river he waved the light around over his head and let out a shout stop stop he cried the bridge is broken in the middle if you try to cross you'll end up in the river oh my the squire exclaimed what a close call good boy john murray to me he took me by the bridle and gently turned me around then he climbed back into the cart and we continued down the river to the next bridge it was built much higher over the water and we crossed safely when we finally arrived home it was well after dark we found the mistress waiting up for us despite the late hour are you safe she cried hurrying out to greet us i was so worried yes my dear the squire said we are safe but only thanks to our fine black beauty if he hadn't been wiser than john and me we all would have been swept into the river and drowned he went into the house so i couldn't hear any more of what he said but i was so tired after the long journey i didn't mind john took me to the stable and unhitched me then he gave me a warm mash with lots of extra carrots along with extra pats and praise [Music] black beauty chapter 9 a naughty boy [Music] one day john manley and i rode out to deliver a message for the squire on our way home we saw a teenage boy riding a stout black pony [Music] john and i watched as the boy rode the pony toward a gate near the road on either side of the gate was a tall hedge is he crazy john murmured that gate is much too high for a pony that size to jump the pony seemed to be thinking the same thing when he reached the gate he veered off to the right and stopped hey the boy shouted he spun the pony around and tried again this time he thumped the pony sides with his heels and gave him several cracks with his whip but once again the pony refused the jump instead he darted off to the left you rotten little thing the boy cried he still didn't notice john and me watching the boy wheeled the pony around and aimed him at the gate once again kicking as hard as he could and lashing him with the whip the pony's ears were flat back against his head this time the pony turned neither left nor right he just stopped short threw his head down and bucked several times the boy tried to hang on but the last buck sent him flying he went right over the pony shoulder landing head first in the thorny hedge he yelled thrashing around stupid thorns meanwhile the pony spun around and galloped off his reins dangling [Music] john burst out laughing that boy got what he deserved he said the boy heard him help he called come help me out of these thorns so i can catch that rotten pony and teach him a lesson i think you're the one who needs the lesson young man john said and those thorns seem to be giving you one maybe next time you'll know better than to try to make your pony jump over such a high gate or to use the whip so cruelly we rode off with the boys cries following us part of the way [Music] when we reach the next intersection john turned off to the right i think we'd better stop by farmer bushby's house beauty he said that young man might be a liar as well as a bad rider it might be better for that pony if we're there to tell his side of the story we rode up to a farmhouse a man was standing in the road looking back and forth with a worried expression his wife was nearby and she looked frightened too the black pony was grazing in the yard he was still wearing his saddle but he looked much more content without his rider hello mr manley the farmer said when he saw us have you seen my boy anywhere his pony just came home without him as a matter of fact i have john replied and after seeing the way he rides his pony is better off without him what do you mean the farmer asked well sir i saw your son whipping and kicking that good looking pony to make him jump john said but the pony knew better than to try to make it over a gate that was far too high for him he finally kicked up his heels and tipped the young man into a thorn hedge your son wanted me to help him out but i could tell that the boy had no injuries aside from the scratches the thorns were giving him and so i decided to leave him where he was i love horses and it bothers me to see them treated badly the farmer's wife was crying by now oh poor bill she sobbed we should go find him and help him i think i'd better go by myself my dear the farmer said with a sigh this is not the first time bill has mistreated that pony or the second either it's time to put a stop to it and teach him a lesson he nodded toward john thank you for letting us know about this mr manley you're welcome john said good luck with your boy when we got home james was there to remove my saddle and groom me while they worked john told him what had happened soon the two of them were both chuckling i know the boy you mean james said and you were right about his needing that lesson he's always been careless about animals maybe this will teach him to treat them better i hope so john replied only a coward is cruel to helpless animals at least this coward is still only a boy if his father can get him to change his ways there may be hope for him yet [Music] black beauty chapter 10 changes i wasn't sure how long i'd been at bertwick park for horses don't keep track of time the way humans do but it had been long enough for everything about the place to feel familiar i was used to my life there and to the horses and people i never expected anything to change then one day the squire came to the stable john manley had just ridden me out for some exercise now he was grooming me while james fetched some oats from the shed where the horse's feed was stored when the squire came over his face was serious he was holding a letter john immediately noticed the squire's serious face [Music] he quickly led me into my stall and shut the door behind me then he turned to face the squire good morning sir he said what can i do for you good morning john the squire's voice was as serious as his face [Music] i need to ask you something do you have any complaints about young james james himself had just emerged from the feed shed he stood there in the doorway looking surprised but john was quick to answer complaints sir he said absolutely not is he a hard worker the squire asked or does he get lazy when your back is turned he works as hard as i do john said i've never known him to be lazy about anything [Music] that's good the squire glanced at the letter he was holding but now i have another question for you when he goes out with the horses to exercise them or to deliver a message does he do only what he's supposed to be doing or do you think he might sometimes stop to talk with his friends i have no reason to suspect that john said frowning and if anybody has been saying that sort of thing about james i want to know who it is james is the most honest young man i know and the hardest worker too he's gentle and clever with the horses and i never worry about leaving him in charge when i have to go somewhere if anyone wants to say otherwise send him to me the squire's serious look disappeared he chuckled and glanced over at james come on out young man he said to him i'm glad to hear that john's opinion of you is the same as my own now let me tell you why i needed to hear it james came out to the yard he looked nervous what is it sir he asked has someone been saying bad things about me not at all my boy the squire assured him i'm sorry to worry you but i needed to make sure i got john's honest opinion you see my brother-in-law just wrote to me he held up the letter then he explained that his brother-in-law was looking for a groom his old coachman has been with him for 30 years he went on he wants a young man to work with him for a few years and take over when he retires it would be a good job with a fair salary and a nice place to live oh john said slowly i see well i'll miss james if he takes the job sir but nobody deserves a good opportunity more than he does i agree the squire said so do you think he can do the job yes i do john replied he doesn't have much experience in driving yet but he can do everything else there is to do around the stable and do it well your brother-in-law would be lucky to have him i was listening along with the other horses at first i didn't understand all of what the men were saying but mary legs who understands humans better than any of us figured it out james was going to be leaving us in about a month to work at another stable in the meantime he needed practice driving the carriage as much as he could [Music] for the next few weeks the carriage went out more than ever before normally the squire only used it when his wife was going somewhere with him but now ginger and i were hitched to the carriage for every errand no matter how small [Applause] at first john rode along to give instructions while james drove after a while james was allowed to take us out by himself his driving got better all the time finally the squire decided it was time for the final test he and his wife wanted to pay a visit to some friends who lived about 50 miles away it would be a two-day trip and james would drive them there and back [Music] little fox

Channel: Little Fox - Kids Stories and Songs

Views: 3,499,188

Keywords: littlefox, kids, english, stories, animation, children, for kids, for children, educational, black beauty, black beauty audiobook, stoy for, story for childrens in english, story for sleep, stories for kids, kids story, social studies

Id: NM2zvY565aQ

Length: 56min 12sec (3372 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 19 2021