Black Beauty

Black Beauty  (1877)  by Anna Sewell

Chapter 1→

related portals: Children's literature. sister projects: Wikipedia article. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse, first published November 24, 1877, is Anna Sewell's only novel, composed in the last years of her life between 1871 and 1877 while confined to her house as an invalid.

"The moon had just risen above the hedge, and by its light I could see Smith lying a few yards beyond me."—Page 121.

BLACK BEAUTY:

HIS GROOMS AND COMPANIONS,

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HORSE.

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Translated from the Original Equine

BY

ANNA SEWELL.

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LONDON: JARROLD AND SONS,
3, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS.

TO

MY DEAR AND HONOURED

MOTHER,

WHOSE LIFE, NO LESS THAN HER PEN,

HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO THE

WELFARE OF OTHERS,

THIS LITTLE BOOK

IS AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED.

"He was a perfect horseman, and never lost his temper with his horse, talking to and reasoning with it if it shyed or bolted, as if it had been a rational being, knowing that from the fine organisation of the animal, a horse, like a child, will get confused by panic fear, which is only increased by punishment."—From the Life of Charles Kingsley, Vol. II., page 9.

CONTENTS.

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PART I.

CHAPTER	PAGE
I.	My Early Home	9
II.	The Hunt	12
III.	My Breaking In	16
IV.	Birtwick Park	21
V.	A Fair Start	25
VI.	Liberty	30
VII.	Ginger	32
VIII.	Ginger's Story Continued	38
IX.	Merrylegs	43
X.	A Talk in the Orchard	47
XI.	Plain Speaking	54
XII.	A Stormy Day	58
XIII.	The Devil's Trade Mark	63
XIV.	James Howard	67
XV.	The Old Ostler	71
XVI.	The Fire	75
XVII.	John Manly's Talk	80
XVIII.	Going for the Doctor	85
XIX.	Only Ignorance	90
XX.	Joe Green	93
XXI.	The Parting	97
PART II.
XXII.	Earlshall	101
XXIII.	A Strike for Liberty	106
XXIV.	The Lady Anne, or A Runaway Horse	110
XXV.	Reuben Smith	118
XXVI.	How it Ended	123
XXVII.	Ruined, and going Down-hill	127
XXVIII.	A Job Horse, and his Drivers	131
XXIX.	Cockneys	136
XXX.	A Thief	144
XXXI.	A Humbug	148
PART III.
XXXII.	The Horse Fair	152
XXXIII.	A London Cab Horse	157
XXXIV.	An Old War Horse	162
XXXV.	Jerry Barker	169
XXXVI.	The Sunday Cab	177
XXXVII.	The Golden Rule	183
XXXVIII.	Dolly and a real Gentleman	188
XXXIX.	Seedy Sam	193
XL.	Poor Ginger	198
XLI.	The Butcher	201
XLII.	The Election	205
XLIII.	A Friend in Need	208
XLIV.	Old Captain, and his Successor	214
XLV.	Jerry's New Year	220
PART IV.
XLVI.	Jakes and the Lady	228
XLVII.	Hard Times	233
XLVIII.	Farmer Thoroughgood and his Grandson Willie	239
XLIX.	My Last Home	244

This work published before January 1, 1923 is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.