The Little Black Horse

Once upon a time there was a little black baby horse named Billy. Billy was a very charming little colt, he was so round and plump, his coat was so smooth and glossy and he had a large white star on his forehead. Like all other colts, his legs were rather long, but he could kick up his heels, arch his neck, and prance along in true coltish style. Billy’s mamma was a large white mare named Daisy. It seemed rather strange to see a little black colt trotting along beside her. But Billy looked as if he might, when a little older, shed his black hair and grow gray hair in its place. As he grew still older, his hair would gradually turn lighter, until he became quite white, just like his mamma.

Billy and Daisy spent almost all of their time in a large pasture, where they had all the grass they wanted to eat and nice cool water to drink. Every day, in warm weather, after Billy had eaten all he wanted, Daisy would look fondly at Billy and say in her own language which only Billy understood: “Now my Charming Billy, it is time for you to take your nap.” So Billy would lie dawn on the smooth cool grass and go to sleep. While he slept, except for taking a little nibble at the grass now and then, Daisy stood near with her head up; her ears listening and her eyes watching for anything that might disturb her baby’s slumbers.

[Usually Billy was]* trotting along beside her wherever she went. But one day Daisy found a large bunch of such good tasting grass that it took her a long time to eat it. When she finally finished and looked around for Billy, he was nowhere to be seen. Then she started off quickly and neighed more loudly. Presently she saw Billy coming from the other side of the pasture.

When he was near enough, Daisy looked at him fondly and said in her own language which only Billy understood: “Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy? Oh, where have you been, Charming Billy?”

And Billy, with his soft little nose and lips all purple with mulberry stains, looked at his mother and said in his own language which only she could understand: “I have been to eat mulberries. They are good as can be, but I think I don’t want any more.”

Daisy answered: “Now you stay right by me, Billy Boy, Billy Boy. Do not run off again, Charming Billy.”

“Yes, I’ll stay right by you, and I’ll not run off again, for a bee stung my nose,” said Charming Billy.

And Billy did not run away from his mamma any more to eat mulberries.