Black Beauty

One summer day, the groom cleans Black Beauty and tacks him up with more care and attention than usual. Willie seems anxious and excited as he and Mr. Thoroughgood get in the cart and drive Black Beauty to a low house a mile out of the village. Mr. Thoroughgood goes inside for a minute and returns with three ladies. The younger lady, Miss Ellen, likes Black Beauty, but the taller, ill-looking lady says she’s always nervous driving a horse who’s fallen before. Mr. Thoroughgood says that many horses fall because their drivers are careless; that’s what happened to Black Beauty. He offers to let the ladies take him on trial. Miss Blomefield agrees.

The next morning, a young man comes to fetch Black Beauty. The man looks pleased—until he sees Black Beauty’s “blemished” knees. Mr. Thoroughgood says Black Beauty is a good and safe horse, and this is just a trial after all. The man leads Black Beauty to his new home. The following morning, the groom returns to brush Black Beauty and remarks that the star on this horse’s face is just like Black Beauty’s. The man finds the scar on Black Beauty’s neck where he was bled when he was ill—and then finds a tiny white spot in the middle of Black Beauty’s back, which John Manly called “Beauty’s threepenny bit.” Thrilled, the man—Joe Green—asks Black Beauty if he remembers him. 

Black Beauty doesn’t remember Joe Green; Joe is a man now with a beard. But Joe clearly remembers Black Beauty, so Black Beauty puts his nose up to Joe’s face. Joe grouses that he wants to know who destroyed Black Beauty’s knees, and who has abused him. In the afternoon, Joe puts Black Beauty in a low Park chair (a low carriage) and takes him to the ladies’ door. Miss Ellen drives Black Beauty with Joe riding along, and she’s a good driver. On the drive, Joe tells her about Black Beauty’s history. When they return from the drive, Miss Ellen says she’ll write to Mrs. Gordon and tell her that they’ve found Black Beauty. It takes another week before Miss Lavinia is confident enough to drive Black Beauty, and after he proves himself safe, the ladies decide for sure to keep him.

Black Beauty has been with the ladies a year now, and he goes by Black Beauty again. Joe is a wonderful, kind groom, and the easy work and good care has revived Black Beauty’s spirits. Mr. Thoroughgood recently told Joe that with such good care, Black Beauty will last until he’s 20. Willie still visits, and the ladies have promised to never sell Black Beauty. With this, Black Beauty is ready to end his story. He’s home and happy now—sometimes, just when he wakes up, he feels like he’s still in the apple orchard at Birtwick with his friends.