LnR Black Beauty 29

Chapter 12

A Stormy Day

     One day late in the autumn my master had a long journey to go on business. I was put into the dog-cart, and John went with his master. I always liked to go in the dog-cart, it was so light and the high wheels ran along so pleasantly. There had been a great deal of rain, and now the wind was very high and blew the dry leaves across the road in a shower. We went along merrily till we came to the toll-bar and the low wooden bridge. The river banks were rather high, and the bridge, instead of rising, went across just level, so that in the middle, if the river was full, the water would be nearly up to the woodwork and planks; but as there were good substantial rails on each side, people did not mind it.

     The man at the gate said the river was rising fast, and he feared it would be a bad night. Many of the meadows were under water, and in one low part of the road the water was halfway up to my knees; the bottom was good, and master drove gently, so it was no matter.

     When we got to the town of course I had a good bait, but as the master's business engaged him a long time we did not start for home till rather late in the afternoon. The wind was then much higher, and I heard the master say to John that he had never been out in such a storm; and so I thought, as we went along the skirts of a wood, where the great branches were swaying about like twigs, and the rushing sound was terrible.

LnR Black Beauty 28

     "Steady, steady, my boy," he would say; "wait a bit, and we will have a good swing, and soon get the tickle out of your feet." Then as soon as we were out of the village, he would give me a few miles at a spanking trot, and then bring me back as fresh as before, only clear of the fidgets, as he called them. Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, are often called skittish, when it is only play; and some grooms will punish them, but our John did not; he knew it was only high spirits. Still, he had his own ways of making me understand by the tone of his voice or the touch of the rein. If he was very serious and quite determined, I always knew it by his voice, and that had more power with me than anything else, for I was very fond of him.

     I ought to say that sometimes we had our liberty for a few hours; this used to be on fine Sundays in the summer-time. The carriage never went out on Sundays, because the church was not far off.

     It was a great treat to us to be turned out into the home paddock or the old orchard; the grass was so cool and soft to our feet, the air so sweet, and the freedom to do as we liked was so pleasant--to gallop, to lie down, and roll over on our backs, or to nibble the sweet grass. Then it was a very good time for talking, as we stood together under the shade of the large chestnut tree.

TQ 098 Andy from Bristol, England

----

My neighbor and co-worker Andy is from Bristol in southwestern England. I think you'll enjoy listening to his English accent as we talk about different kinds of English accents. We also talk about British TV comedies such as "Mr. Bean" and he recommends a couple of other more modern comedies. Listen for a word that many of you don't know (cannibal) and for a British way of saying to go out to eat Indian food ("I'll have an Indian") which I had never heard before.

LnR Black Beauty 27

Chapter 6

     I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing that I missed it must not be thought I was discontented; all who had to do with me were good and I had a light airy stable and the best of food. What more could I want? Why, liberty! For three years and a half of my life I had had all the liberty I could wish for; but now, week after week, month after month, and no doubt year after year, I must stand up in a stable night and day except when I am wanted, and then I must be just as steady and quiet as any old horse who has worked twenty years. Straps here and straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers over my eyes. Now, I am not complaining, for I know it must be so. I only mean to say that for a young horse full of strength and spirits, who has been used to some large field or plain where he can fling up his head and toss up his tail and gallop away at full speed, then round and back again with a snort to his companions--I say it is hard never to have a bit more liberty to do as you like. Sometimes, when I have had less exercise than usual, I have felt so full of life and spring that when John has taken me out to exercise I really could not keep quiet; do what I would, it seemed as if I must jump, or dance, or prance, and many a good shake I know I must have given him, especially at the first; but he was always good and patient.

TQ 097 Matt from Canada

Last week I posted the interview with Karyn from Canada that I made two years ago. This week is the interview with her then boyfriend, now husband. They went back to Canada for a year, and are now in China at my university again.

This is what I wrote two years ago: Matt, 30, is my next-door neighbor and my co-worker. He's also the boyfriend of Karyn, who was interviewed in TQ 015 (now TQ 096). He talks about his interest in photography and his enjoyment of video games, such as Assassin's Creed and Minecraft. At the end he gives two ideas for improving listening and speaking that I think you'll find useful.

Black Beauty 26

     Our master had two other horses that stood in another stable. One was Justice, a roan cob, used for riding or for the luggage cart; the other was an old brown hunter, named Sir Oliver; he was past work now, but was a great favorite with the master, who gave him the run of the park; he sometimes did a little light carting on the estate, or carried one of the young ladies when they rode out with their father, for he was very gentle and could be trusted with a child as well as Merrylegs. The cob was a strong, well-made, good-tempered horse, and we sometimes had a little chat in the paddock, but of course I could not be so intimate with him as with Ginger, who stood in the same stable.

TQ 096 Karyn from Canada

I had planned to post an interview I did with a house guest named Alesh from Slovakia today, but I'm unable to use the computer I did the interview on. Hopefully I have not lost everything on that laptop and will be able to post Alesh's interview next Tuesday. Instead I'm giving you one of my favorite ones, from two years ago. Karyn was my neighbor at that time, then went back to Canada for a year, and is now my neighbor again. I had a lot of fun interviewing her, as you will hear in the podcast.

LnR Black Beauty 25

James Howard, the stable boy, was just as gentle and pleasant in his way, so I thought myself well off. There was another man who helped in the yard, but he had very little to do with Ginger and me.

A few days after this I had to go out with Ginger in the carriage. I wondered how we should get on together; but except laying her ears back when I was led up to her, she behaved very well. She did her work honestly, and did her full share, and I never wish to have a better partner in double harness. When we came to a hill, instead of slackening her pace, she would throw her weight right into the collar, and pull away straight up. We had both the same sort of courage at our work, and John had oftener to hold us in than to urge us forward; he never had to use the whip with either of us; then our paces were much the same, and I found it very easy to keep step with her when trotting, which made it pleasant, and master always liked it when we kept step well, and so did John. After we had been out two or three times together we grew quite friendly and sociable, which made me feel very much at home.

As for Merrylegs, he and I soon became great friends; he was such a cheerful, plucky, good-tempered little fellow that he was a favorite with every one, and especially with Miss Jessie and Flora, who used to ride him about in the orchard, and have fine games with him and their little dog Frisky.

LnR Black Beauty 24

When John went into the stable he told James that master and mistress had chosen a good, sensible English name for me, that meant something; not like Marengo, or Pegasus, or Abdallah. They both laughed, and James said, "If it was not for bringing back the past, I should have named him Rob Roy, for I never saw two horses more alike."

"That's no wonder," said John; "didn't you know that Farmer Grey's old Duchess was the mother of them both?"

I had never heard that before; and so poor Rob Roy who was killed at that hunt was my brother! I did not wonder that my mother was so troubled. It seems that horses have no relations; at least they never know each other after they are sold.

John seemed very proud of me; he used to make my mane and tail almost as smooth as a lady's hair, and he would talk to me a great deal; of course I did not understand all he said, but I learned more and more to know what he meant, and what he wanted me to do. I grew very fond of him, he was so gentle and kind; he seemed to know just how a horse feels, and when he cleaned me he knew the tender places and the ticklish places; when he brushed my head he went as carefully over my eyes as if they were his own, and never stirred up any ill-temper.

TQ 095 Jan from Warsaw, Poland

Jan stayed in my apartment for three nights on his way from Poland to India. He has hitchhiked altogether 28,000 km this year, including from India to Europe at the beginning of the year. He has hitchhiked in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which I didn't think was possible! Listen as he talks about how hospitable people are in some countries (especially in Muslim countries), how he is a vegetarian, and how he travels with a special kind of musical instrument called a steel tongue drum. He plays it for you in the interview. You can also hear the birds singing outside my window. Sorry, there's nothing I can do about the birds!

Jan speaks with a strong Polish accent, but he also has a large vocabulary. You may need to listen carefully to understand him. This is a good challenge for some of you.

Here are some words that we use that you may not know: yawn, hitchhike, hospitable, paradise, ideally, valid, consequence, to deport, to be prohibited from, relatively, specific, vendor, food court, UFO, tone, melody.