42 Black Beauty - Read By Stephanie Poppins
Black Beauty - the Autobiography of a Horse - was written in 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was told from the perspective of a horse, who is the main character. Sewell wrote it in the last years of her life, during which she was bedridden and seriously ill. The novel became an immediate bestseller. In this episode, Black Beauty had a tough time. Check out The Female Stoic podcast where we discuss this book and other literary works. New Stoicism Feminism Sleep Bedtime story Folklore Relaxation Literature Historical context Emotional healing Grief Social dynamics Domestic life Nostalgia Reunion Emotional reunion Grief management Storytelling Imagination Fantasy Characters Classic literature Culture Adventures Moral lessons
Transcript
Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 46 Jake's and the Lady I was sold to a corn dealer and baker whom Jerry knew and with him he thought I should have good food and fair work.
In the first he was quite right and if my master had always been on the premises I do not think I should have been overloaded but there was a foreman who was always hurrying and driving everyone and frequently when I had quite a full load he would order something else to be taken on.
My carter whose name was Jake's often said it was more than I ought to take but the others always overruled him.
There was no use going twice when once would do he said and I choose to get business forwards.
Jake like the other carters had always had the check rain up which prevented me from drawing easily and by the time I'd been there three or four months I found the work telling very much on my strength.
One day I was loaded more than usual and part of the road was a steep hill.
I used all my strength but I could not get on and I was obliged continually to stop.
This did not please my driver.
He laid his whip on badly.
Get on you lazy fellow he said or I'll make you.
Again I started the heavy load and struggled on a few yards.
Again the whip came down and again I struggled forwards.
That cart whip was sharp but my mind was hurt quite as much as my poor sides to be punished and abused when I was doing my best was so hard it just took the heart out of me.
A third time he flogged me a lady stepped up quickly and said in a sweet earnest voice pray do not whip your good horse anymore I'm sure he's doing all he can the roads very steep.
If doing his best won't get this load up he'll have to do something more than his best said Jake's that's all I know mom.
Is it not a very heavy load she said yep too heavy but that's not my fault the foreman came just as we were starting I would have had 300 weight more put on him to save him trouble and I must get on with it as well as I can.
He was raising the whip again when the lady said pray stop I can help if you'll let me.
The man laughed you see you don't give him a fair chance he can't use all his power with his head held back like that with a checked brain if you take it off I'm sure he'll do better try it she said persuasively I would be very glad if you did.
Well well said Jake's with a short laugh anything to please a lady of course how far will you wish it down mom?
Quiet down give him his head all together.
The rain was taken off and in a moment I put my head down to my very knees what a comfort it was and I tossed it up and down several times to get the aching stiffness out of my neck poor fellow that's what you wanted said she patting and stroking me with her gentle hand now if you speak kindly to him and lead him on I believe he'll be able to do better.
Jake's took the rain come on blackie I put down my head and threw my whole weight against the collar I spared no strength and the load moved on I pulled it steadily up the hill then stopped to take a breath the lady was walking along the footpath and now came cross into the road she stroked and patted my neck as I'd not been patted for many a long day see he was quite willing when you gave him the chance I'm sure he's a fine tempered creature she said I dare say he's known better days you won't put that rain on again will you?
Jake's was just about to hitch it up on the old plan well mom I can't deny having his head's helped him up the hill I'll remember it another time and thank you but if we went without a check rain I should be the laughing stock of all the carters it's the fashion it is better she said to lead a good fashion than to follow a bad one a great many gentlemen do not use check rains now our carriage horses have not worn them for 15 years and work with much less fatigue than those who have them besides we have no right to distress any of God's creatures without a very good reason she added we call them dumb animals and so they are for they can't tell us how they feel but they do not suffer less because they have no words still I must not detain you now I thank you for trying my plan with your good horse and I'm sure you'll find it far better than the whip good day then with another soft pat on my neck she stepped lightly across the path and I saw her no more that was a real lady I'll be bound for it said Jake's to himself she spoke just as polite as if I was a gentleman maybe I'll try a plan up here where anyway and I must do Jake's the justice to say he let my reign out several holes and going uphill after that he always gave me my head but no horse can stand against overloading and I was getting so thoroughly pulled down from this cause that a younger horse was bought in my place not that the trouble stopped there I may well as mentioned here what I suffered at this time from another cause I'd heard horses speak of it but I'd never myself had the experience this was a badly lighted stable there was only a small window at the end and the consequence was the stalls were almost dark besides the depressing effect this had on my spirits it weakened my sight and when I was brought out into the darkness it became very painful to my eyes several times I stumbled over the threshold and could scarcely see where I was going I believe had I stayed there very long I should have become part blind that would have been a great misfortune I'd heard men say a stone blind horse was safer to drive than one who had imperfect sight it generally makes them very timid however I escaped without any permanent injury and was sold to a large cab owner my new master I shall never forget he had black eyes and a hooked nose his mouth was full of teeth as a bulldog's and his voice as harsh as the grinding of cartwheels over gravel stones his name was Nicholas Skinner and I believe he was the man that poor Seedy Sam drove for I have heard men say that seeing is believing but I should say that feeling is believing as much as I'd seen before I never knew till now the misery of a cab horse's life Skinner was hard on the men he had a low set of cabs and a low set of drivers so the men were hard on the horses in this place we had no Sunday rest and it was in the heat of summer sometimes on a Sunday morning a party of fast men would hire the cab for the day four of them inside and another with the driver I had to take them 10 or 15 miles out into the country and back again never would any of them get down to walk up a hill let it be ever so steep or the day ever so hot unless indeed when the driver was afraid I should not manage it and sometimes I was so fevered and worn I could hardly touch my food how I used to long for the nice bran mash that Jerry used to give us on Saturday nights in hot weather then we had two nights in the whole day for unbroken rest on Monday we were as fresh as young horses again but here there was no rest and my driver was as hard as his master I still did my best though and never hung back but indignities like these took the heart out of me as poor ginger said it was no use men are the strongest my life now was so utterly wretched I wished I might like ginger drop down at my work and be out of my misery and one day my wish very nearly came to pass I went on the stand at 8 in the morning and had done a good share of work when we had to take a fare to the railway a long train was expected in so my driver pulled up at the back of some of the outside cabs to take the chance of a return fare it was a very heavy train and all the cabs were soon engaged so ours was called for there was a party of four a noisy blustering man with a lady a little boy and a girl and a great deal of luggage the lady and the boy got into the cab while the man ordered about the luggage the young girl came out and looked at me papa she said I'm sure this young horse can't take us now luggage he's so weak and worn up now he's alright miss said my driver he's strong enough the porter who was pulling some heavy boxes suggested to the gentleman there was so much luggage whether or not he should take a second cab can your horse do it or can't he said the blustering man you can do it alright sir send out the boxes he can do more than that my driver helped to haul up a box so heavy I could feel the springs go down papa take a second cab said the young girl in the beseeching tone I'm sure we're wrong it's very cruel nonsense Grace get in at once and don't make all this fuss a pretty thing it would be if a man of business had to examine every cap horse before he hired it this man knows his own business now get in there and hold your tongue the little girl had to obey and box after box was dragged up and lodged on the top of the cab or settled by this side of the driver at last all was ready and with his usual jerk at the rain and slush of the whip the driver drove out of the station I had had neither food nor rest since morning but I did my best as I always did I got fairly along until we came to Ludgate Hill but there the heavy load of my own exhaustion with too much I cannot tell how but my feet slipped from under me and I fell heavily to the ground on my side I lay perfectly still I had no power to move I heard a sort of confusion around me loud angry voices oh that poor horse one said it's all our fault someone came and loosened the throat strap of my bridle and undid the traces which kept the collar so tight I could hear now and then some more voices and cold water was thrown over my head some cordial was poured into my mouth and something was covered over me I cannot tell how long I lay there but I found life coming back and then a kind-voiced man was patting me and encouraging me to rise after some more cordial and after one or two attempts I staggered to my feet and was gently led to some stables which were close by here I was put into a well-lit stall and some warm gruel was brought to me which I thankfully drank in the evening I was sufficiently recovered to be led back to Skinner's stables they did the best for me they could this is a case of overwork more than disease said the farrier if you could give him a run-off for six months and be able to work again but now there's not an ounce of strength left in him
