Part	O
I	O
01	O
My	O
Early	O
Home	O
The	O
first	O
place	O
that	O
I	O
can	O
well	O
remember	EVENT
was	O
a	O
large	O
pleasant	O
meadow	O
with	O
a	O
pond	O
of	O
clear	O
water	O
in	O
it	O
.	O

Some	O
shady	O
trees	O
leaned	O
over	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
rushes	O
and	O
water-lilies	O
grew	O
at	O
the	O
deep	O
end	O
.	O

Over	O
the	O
hedge	O
on	O
one	O
side	O
we	O
looked	O
into	O
a	O
plowed	O
field	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
we	O
looked	O
over	O
a	O
gate	O
at	O
our	O
master	O
’s	O
house	O
,	O
which	O
stood	O
by	O
the	O
roadside	O
;	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
meadow	O
was	O
a	O
grove	O
of	O
fir	O
trees	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
the	O
bottom	O
a	O
running	O
brook	O
overhung	O
by	O
a	O
steep	O
bank	O
.	O

While	O
I	O
was	O
young	O
I	O
lived	O
upon	O
my	O
mother	O
’s	O
milk	O
,	O
as	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
eat	O
grass	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
daytime	O
I	O
ran	O
by	O
her	O
side	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
night	O
I	O
lay	O
down	O
close	O
by	O
her	O
.	O

When	O
it	O
was	O
hot	O
we	O
used	O
to	O
stand	O
by	O
the	O
pond	O
in	O
the	O
shade	O
of	O
the	O
trees	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
cold	O
we	O
had	O
a	O
nice	O
warm	O
shed	O
near	O
the	O
grove	O
.	O

As	O
soon	O
as	O
I	O
was	O
old	O
enough	O
to	O
eat	O
grass	O
my	O
mother	O
used	O
to	O
go	O
out	O
to	O
work	O
in	O
the	O
daytime	O
,	O
and	O
come	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
evening	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
six	O
young	O
colts	O
in	O
the	O
meadow	O
besides	O
me	O
;	O
they	O
were	O
older	O
than	O
I	O
was	O
;	O
some	O
were	O
nearly	O
as	O
large	O
as	O
grown-up	O
horses	O
.	O

I	O
used	O
to	O
run	O
with	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
great	O
fun	O
;	O
we	O
used	O
to	O
gallop	O
all	O
together	O
round	O
and	O
round	O
the	O
field	O
as	O
hard	O
as	O
we	O
could	O
go	O
.	O

Sometimes	O
we	O
had	O
rather	O
rough	O
play	O
,	O
for	O
they	O
would	O
frequently	O
bite	O
and	O
kick	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
gallop	O
.	O

One	O
day	O
,	O
when	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
deal	O
of	O
kicking	EVENT
,	O
my	O
mother	O
whinnied	EVENT
to	O
me	O
to	O
come	O
to	O
her	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
she	O
said	EVENT
:	O
“	O
I	O
wish	O
you	O
to	O
pay	O
attention	O
to	O
what	O
I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
say	O
to	O
you	O
.	O

The	O
colts	O
who	O
live	O
here	O
are	O
very	O
good	O
colts	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
are	O
cart-horse	O
colts	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
course	O
they	O
have	O
not	O
learned	O
manners	O
.	O

You	O
have	O
been	O
well-bred	O
and	O
well-born	O
;	O
your	O
father	O
has	O
a	O
great	O
name	O
in	O
these	O
parts	O
,	O
and	O
your	O
grandfather	O
won	EVENT
the	O
cup	O
two	O
years	O
at	O
the	O
Newmarket	O
races	O
;	O
your	O
grandmother	O
had	O
the	O
sweetest	O
temper	O
of	O
any	O
horse	O
I	O
ever	O
knew	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
think	O
you	O
have	O
never	O
seen	O
me	O
kick	O
or	O
bite	O
.	O

I	O
hope	O
you	O
will	O
grow	O
up	O
gentle	O
and	O
good	O
,	O
and	O
never	O
learn	O
bad	O
ways	O
;	O
do	O
your	O
work	O
with	O
a	O
good	O
will	O
,	O
lift	O
your	O
feet	O
up	O
well	O
when	O
you	O
trot	O
,	O
and	O
never	O
bite	O
or	O
kick	O
even	O
in	O
play	O
.	O
”	O

I	O
have	O
never	O
forgotten	O
my	O
mother	O
’s	O
advice	O
;	O
I	O
knew	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
wise	O
old	O
horse	O
,	O
and	O
our	O
master	O
thought	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
her	O
.	O

Her	O
name	O
was	O
Duchess	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
often	O
called	O
her	O
Pet	O
.	O

Our	O
master	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
,	O
kind	O
man	O
.	O

He	O
gave	O
us	O
good	O
food	O
,	O
good	O
lodging	O
,	O
and	O
kind	O
words	O
;	O
he	O
spoke	O
as	O
kindly	O
to	O
us	O
as	O
he	O
did	O
to	O
his	O
little	O
children	O
.	O

We	O
were	O
all	O
fond	O
of	O
him	O
,	O
and	O
my	O
mother	O
loved	O
him	O
very	O
much	O
.	O

When	O
she	O
saw	O
him	O
at	O
the	O
gate	O
she	O
would	O
neigh	O
with	O
joy	O
,	O
and	O
trot	O
up	O
to	O
him	O
.	O

He	O
would	O
pat	O
and	O
stroke	O
her	O
and	O
say	O
,	O
“	O
Well	O
,	O
old	O
Pet	O
,	O
and	O
how	O
is	O
your	O
little	O
Darkie	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
was	O
a	O
dull	O
black	O
,	O
so	O
he	O
called	O
me	O
Darkie	O
;	O
then	O
he	O
would	O
give	O
me	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
bread	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
very	O
good	O
,	O
and	O
sometimes	O
he	O
brought	O
a	O
carrot	O
for	O
my	O
mother	O
.	O

All	O
the	O
horses	O
would	O
come	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
think	O
we	O
were	O
his	O
favorites	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
always	O
took	O
him	O
to	O
the	O
town	O
on	O
a	O
market	O
day	O
in	O
a	O
light	O
gig	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
plowboy	O
,	O
Dick	O
,	O
who	O
sometimes	O
came	O
into	O
our	O
field	O
to	O
pluck	O
blackberries	O
from	O
the	O
hedge	O
.	O

When	O
he	O
had	O
eaten	O
all	O
he	O
wanted	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
what	O
he	O
called	O
fun	O
with	O
the	O
colts	O
,	O
throwing	O
stones	O
and	O
sticks	O
at	O
them	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
gallop	O
.	O

We	O
did	O
not	O
much	O
mind	O
him	O
,	O
for	O
we	O
could	O
gallop	O
off	O
;	O
but	O
sometimes	O
a	O
stone	O
would	O
hit	O
and	O
hurt	O
us	O
.	O

One	O
day	O
he	O
was	O
at	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
know	O
that	O
the	O
master	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
next	O
field	O
;	O
but	O
he	O
was	O
there	O
,	O
watching	EVENT
what	O
was	O
going	O
on	O
;	O
over	O
the	O
hedge	O
he	O
jumped	EVENT
in	O
a	O
snap	O
,	O
and	O
catching	EVENT
Dick	O
by	O
the	O
arm	O
,	O
he	O
gave	O
him	O
such	O
a	O
box	EVENT
on	O
the	O
ear	O
as	O
made	O
him	O
roar	EVENT
with	O
the	O
pain	EVENT
and	O
surprise	EVENT
.	O

As	O
soon	O
as	O
we	O
saw	EVENT
the	O
master	O
we	O
trotted	EVENT
up	O
nearer	O
to	O
see	O
what	O
went	O
on	O
.	O

“	O
Bad	O
boy	O
!	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
“	O
bad	O
boy	O
!	O

to	O
chase	EVENT
the	O
colts	O
.	O

This	O
is	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
,	O
nor	O
the	O
second	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
shall	O
be	O
the	O
last	O
.	O

There	O
--	O
take	O
your	O
money	O
and	O
go	O
home	O
;	O
I	O
shall	O
not	O
want	O
you	O
on	O
my	O
farm	O
again	O
.	O
”	O

So	O
we	O
never	O
saw	O
Dick	O
any	O
more	O
.	O

Old	O
Daniel	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
who	O
looked	O
after	O
the	O
horses	O
,	O
was	O
just	O
as	O
gentle	O
as	O
our	O
master	O
,	O
so	O
we	O
were	O
well	O
off	O
.	O

02	O
The	O
Hunt	O
Before	O
I	O
was	O
two	O
years	O
old	O
a	O
circumstance	EVENT
happened	O
which	O
I	O
have	O
never	O
forgotten	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
early	O
in	O
the	O
spring	O
;	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
little	O
frost	EVENT
in	O
the	O
night	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
light	O
mist	EVENT
still	O
hung	O
over	O
the	O
woods	O
and	O
meadows	O
.	O

I	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
colts	O
were	O
feeding	EVENT
at	O
the	O
lower	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
field	O
when	O
we	O
heard	EVENT
,	O
quite	O
in	O
the	O
distance	O
,	O
what	O
sounded	O
like	O
the	O
cry	O
of	O
dogs	O
.	O

The	O
oldest	O
of	O
the	O
colts	O
raised	EVENT
his	O
head	O
,	O
pricked	EVENT
his	O
ears	O
,	O
and	O
said	EVENT
,	O
“	O
There	O
are	O
the	O
hounds	O
!	O
”	O
and	O
immediately	O
cantered	EVENT
off	O
,	O
followed	EVENT
by	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
us	O
to	O
the	O
upper	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
where	O
we	O
could	O
look	O
over	O
the	O
hedge	O
and	O
see	O
several	O
fields	O
beyond	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
and	O
an	O
old	O
riding	O
horse	O
of	O
our	O
master	O
’s	O
were	O
also	O
standing	O
near	O
,	O
and	O
seemed	O
to	O
know	O
all	O
about	O
it	O
.	O

“	O
They	O
have	O
found	EVENT
a	O
hare	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
my	O
mother	O
,	O
“	O
and	O
if	O
they	O
come	O
this	O
way	O
we	O
shall	O
see	O
the	O
hunt	O
.	O
”	O

And	O
soon	O
the	O
dogs	O
were	O
all	O
tearing	EVENT
down	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
young	O
wheat	O
next	O
to	O
ours	O
.	O

I	O
never	O
heard	O
such	O
a	O
noise	EVENT
as	O
they	O
made	O
.	O

They	O
did	O
not	O
bark	O
,	O
nor	O
howl	O
,	O
nor	O
whine	O
,	O
but	O
kept	O
on	O
a	O
“	O
yo	O
!	O

yo	O
,	O
o	O
,	O
o	O
!	O

yo	O
!	O

yo	O
,	O
o	O
,	O
o	O
!	O
”	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
their	O
voices	EVENT
.	O

After	O
them	O
came	EVENT
a	O
number	O
of	O
men	O
on	O
horseback	O
,	O
some	O
of	O
them	O
in	O
green	O
coats	O
,	O
all	O
galloping	EVENT
as	O
fast	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
.	O

The	O
old	O
horse	O
snorted	EVENT
and	O
looked	EVENT
eagerly	O
after	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
young	O
colts	O
wanted	EVENT
to	O
be	O
galloping	O
with	O
them	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
were	O
soon	O
away	EVENT
into	O
the	O
fields	O
lower	O
down	O
;	O
here	O
it	O
seemed	O
as	O
if	O
they	O
had	O
come	O
to	O
a	O
stand	O
;	O
the	O
dogs	O
left	EVENT
off	O
barking	EVENT
,	O
and	O
ran	EVENT
about	O
every	O
way	O
with	O
their	O
noses	O
to	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O

“	O
They	O
have	O
lost	EVENT
the	O
scent	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
old	O
horse	O
;	O
“	O
perhaps	O
the	O
hare	O
will	O
get	O
off	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
What	O
hare	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
said	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Oh	O
!	O

I	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
what	O
hare	O
;	O
likely	O
enough	O
it	O
may	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
our	O
own	O
hares	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
woods	O
;	O
any	O
hare	O
they	O
can	O
find	O
will	O
do	O
for	O
the	O
dogs	O
and	O
men	O
to	O
run	O
after	O
;	O
”	O
and	O
before	O
long	O
the	O
dogs	O
began	O
their	O
“	O
yo	O
!	O

yo	O
,	O
o	O
,	O
o	O
!	O
”	O
again	O
,	O
and	O
back	O
they	O
came	EVENT
altogether	O
at	O
full	O
speed	O
,	O
making	O
straight	EVENT
for	O
our	O
meadow	O
at	O
the	O
part	O
where	O
the	O
high	O
bank	O
and	O
hedge	O
overhang	O
the	O
brook	O
.	O

“	O
Now	O
we	O
shall	O
see	O
the	O
hare	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
my	O
mother	O
;	O
and	O
just	O
then	O
a	O
hare	O
wild	O
with	O
fright	EVENT
rushed	EVENT
by	O
and	O
made	EVENT
for	O
the	O
woods	O
.	O

On	O
came	EVENT
the	O
dogs	O
;	O
they	O
burst	EVENT
over	O
the	O
bank	O
,	O
leaped	EVENT
the	O
stream	O
,	O
and	O
came	O
dashing	EVENT
across	O
the	O
field	O
followed	EVENT
by	O
the	O
huntsmen	O
.	O

Six	O
or	O
eight	O
men	O
leaped	EVENT
their	O
horses	O
clean	O
over	O
,	O
close	O
upon	O
the	O
dogs	O
.	O

The	O
hare	O
tried	EVENT
to	O
get	O
through	O
the	O
fence	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
too	O
thick	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
turned	EVENT
sharp	O
round	O
to	O
make	O
for	O
the	O
road	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
too	O
late	O
;	O
the	O
dogs	O
were	O
upon	O
her	O
with	O
their	O
wild	O
cries	EVENT
;	O
we	O
heard	EVENT
one	O
shriek	EVENT
,	O
and	O
that	O
was	O
the	O
end	EVENT
of	O
her	O
.	O

One	O
of	O
the	O
huntsmen	O
rode	EVENT
up	O
and	O
whipped	EVENT
off	O
the	O
dogs	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
soon	O
have	O
torn	O
her	O
to	O
pieces	O
.	O

He	O
held	EVENT
her	O
up	O
by	O
the	O
leg	O
torn	EVENT
and	O
bleeding	EVENT
,	O
and	O
all	O
the	O
gentlemen	O
seemed	O
well	O
pleased	O
.	O

As	O
for	O
me	O
,	O
I	O
was	O
so	O
astonished	EVENT
that	O
I	O
did	O
not	O
at	O
first	O
see	O
what	O
was	O
going	EVENT
on	O
by	O
the	O
brook	O
;	O
but	O
when	O
I	O
did	O
look	EVENT
there	O
was	O
a	O
sad	O
sight	EVENT
;	O
two	O
fine	O
horses	O
were	O
down	EVENT
,	O
one	O
was	O
struggling	EVENT
in	O
the	O
stream	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
was	O
groaning	EVENT
on	O
the	O
grass	O
.	O

One	O
of	O
the	O
riders	O
was	O
getting	EVENT
out	O
of	O
the	O
water	O
covered	EVENT
with	O
mud	O
,	O
the	O
other	O
lay	O
quite	O
still	O
.	O

“	O
His	O
neck	O
is	O
broke	EVENT
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
my	O
mother	O
.	O

“	O
And	O
serve	O
him	O
right	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
one	O
of	O
the	O
colts	O
.	O

I	O
thought	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
but	O
my	O
mother	O
did	O
not	O
join	O
with	O
us	O
.	O

“	O
Well	O
,	O
no	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
said	EVENT
,	O
“	O
you	O
must	O
not	O
say	O
that	O
;	O
but	O
though	O
I	O
am	O
an	O
old	O
horse	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
seen	O
and	O
heard	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
,	O
I	O
never	O
yet	O
could	O
make	O
out	O
why	O
men	O
are	O
so	O
fond	O
of	O
this	O
sport	O
;	O
they	O
often	O
hurt	O
themselves	O
,	O
often	O
spoil	O
good	O
horses	O
,	O
and	O
tear	O
up	O
the	O
fields	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
for	O
a	O
hare	O
or	O
a	O
fox	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
stag	O
,	O
that	O
they	O
could	O
get	O
more	O
easily	O
some	O
other	O
way	O
;	O
but	O
we	O
are	O
only	O
horses	O
,	O
and	O
do	O
n’t	O
know	O
.	O
”	O

While	O
my	O
mother	O
was	O
saying	EVENT
this	O
we	O
stood	O
and	O
looked	EVENT
on	O
.	O

Many	O
of	O
the	O
riders	O
had	O
gone	EVENT
to	O
the	O
young	O
man	O
;	O
but	O
my	O
master	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
watching	EVENT
what	O
was	O
going	EVENT
on	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
raise	EVENT
him	O
.	O

His	O
head	O
fell	EVENT
back	O
and	O
his	O
arms	O
hung	EVENT
down	O
,	O
and	O
every	O
one	O
looked	O
very	O
serious	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
no	O
noise	O
now	O
;	O
even	O
the	O
dogs	O
were	O
quiet	O
,	O
and	O
seemed	O
to	O
know	O
that	O
something	O
was	O
wrong	O
.	O

They	O
carried	EVENT
him	O
to	O
our	O
master	O
’s	O
house	O
.	O

I	O
heard	EVENT
afterward	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
young	O
George	O
Gordon	O
,	O
the	O
squire	O
’s	O
only	O
son	O
,	O
a	O
fine	O
,	O
tall	O
young	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
pride	O
of	O
his	O
family	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
now	O
riding	EVENT
off	O
in	O
all	O
directions	O
to	O
the	O
doctor	O
’s	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
farrier	O
’s	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
doubt	O
to	O
Squire	O
Gordon	O
’s	O
,	O
to	O
let	O
him	O
know	O
about	O
his	O
son	O
.	O

When	O
Mr.	O
Bond	O
,	O
the	O
farrier	O
,	O
came	EVENT
to	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
black	O
horse	O
that	O
lay	O
groaning	EVENT
on	O
the	O
grass	O
,	O
he	O
felt	EVENT
him	O
all	O
over	O
,	O
and	O
shook	EVENT
his	O
head	O
;	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
legs	O
was	O
broken	EVENT
.	O

Then	O
some	O
one	O
ran	EVENT
to	O
our	O
master	O
’s	O
house	O
and	O
came	EVENT
back	O
with	O
a	O
gun	O
;	O
presently	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
loud	O
bang	EVENT
and	O
a	O
dreadful	O
shriek	EVENT
,	O
and	O
then	O
all	O
was	O
still	EVENT
;	O
the	O
black	O
horse	O
moved	O
no	O
more	O
.	O

My	O
mother	O
seemed	O
much	O
troubled	O
;	O
she	O
said	EVENT
she	O
had	O
known	O
that	O
horse	O
for	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
his	O
name	O
was	O
“	O
Rob	O
Roy	O
”	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
horse	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
vice	O
in	O
him	O
.	O

She	O
never	O
would	O
go	O
to	O
that	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
field	O
afterward	O
.	O