CHAPTER VII.
THE ARABIAN HORSE.
"Now, father, I'm ready to hear about the Arab and his horse," criedMinnie, one day, when, after following the gentleman about the groundsfor nearly an hour, they at length returned to the library.
Mr. Lee, with an arch glance at his wife, arose at once, and, taking alarge book from the shelves, opened to a chapter on Arabian horses.
"I will first read you a description, my dear, of the animal, before Irepeat to you the anecdote to which you refer.
"The celebrated horse of Arabia is of the smaller class of theseanimals, very little exceeding fifty-six inches in height. As comparedwith the horses of countries abounding in the grasses, their aspect islean, their form slender, and their chest narrow. But this slimness offigure is not inconsistent with muscular force. Their movements areagile, their natural paces swift, and their spirit is unmatched.
"Bishop Heber, while travelling through the upper part of India, gives amore correct notion of the Arab than the more labored descriptions ofothers.
"My morning rides are very pleasant. My horse is a nice, quiet,good-tempered little Arab, who is so fearless that he goes, withoutstarting, close to an elephant, and is so gentle and docile, that heeats bread out of my hand, and has almost as much attachment and coaxingways as a dog.
"The temper of these beautiful horses is no less happily moulded thantheir bodily powers to their condition. They are gentle, patient, andattached to their rude and simple protectors. This, indeed, is greatlythe effect of training; for the same animals, under the charge ofEuropeans, frequently manifest a vicious and indomitable temper. But theArab treats his horse as a companion, never beats him, but cheers himwith his voice, and only uses him with seeming cruelty in necessarydemands on his physical powers.
"In the desert, the mare of the Bedouin, and her foal, inhabit the sametent as himself and his children. She is the friend and playmate of thelittle household. The neck of the mare is often the pillow of the rider,and more frequently of the children, who are rolling about upon her andthe foal; yet no accident occurs, and she acquires a friendship and lovefor man which occasional ill-treatment will not cause her for a momentto forget.
"She is obedient to her master's voice, and will neigh when she hearshis footsteps. Without a bit, she will obey the slightest motion of therider, stand at a word, or put herself to speed in an instant.
"These horses subsist on the scantiest fare, on which the English horseswould perish, and are patient of hunger and thirst in a degree unknownin any other races except the African. They feed on the scanty plantswhich the borders of the desert supply, and when these are wanting, theyare fed on a little barley, with chopped straw, withered herbs, rootsdragged from the sand, dates, when they can be obtained, and, in casesof need, the milk of the camel. They drink at long intervals, and inmoderate quantities. They bear continued exposure to the fiercest heat,and, day after day, pursue marches of incredible toil through theburning sands of the wilderness.
"The mare usually has but one or two meals in twenty-four hours. Duringthe day, she is tied to the door of the tent, ready for the Bedouin tospring, at a moment's warning, into the saddle; or she is turned outbefore the tent ready saddled, the bridle merely taken off, and sotrained that she gallops up immediately upon hearing the call of hermaster.
"At night, she receives a little water, and with her scanty provender offive or six pounds of barley or beans, and sometimes a little straw, shelies down content in the midst of her master's family. She can, however,endure great fatigue. She will travel fifty miles without stopping, andon an emergency, one hundred and twenty; and occasionally neither shenor her rider has tasted food for three whole days."
"O, father, how dreadful! I should think she would sink down and die."
"No doubt, my dear, both she and her master endured much suffering. Butnotwithstanding the Arab lives with, and loves his horse beyond anyother treasure, the young filly, when about to be trained, is treatedwith a cruelty scarcely to be believed. Take one who has never beforebeen mounted. She is led out, her owner springs on her back, and goadsher over the sand and rocks of the desert at full speed for sixty miles,without one moment's respite. She is then forced, steaming and panting,into water deep enough for her to swim. If, immediately after this, shewill eat as if nothing had occurred, her character is well establishedforever afterwards.
"The master does not seem to be conscious of the cruelty which he thusinflicts. It is the custom of the country, and custom will induce us toinflict many a pang on those whom, after all, we love."
Minnie sighed.
"I remember," added her father, affectionately patting her head, "ananecdote which proves the strong affection of the Arabian horse for homeand friends.
"One of these animals was taken by the Persians in an attack made by anArab tribe on a party of the royal family of Persia. The chief headingthe party was killed, and his horse, running into the Persian lines, wastaken. A ransom--enormous for so poor a tribe--was offered by the Arabsfor their noble charger, but refused; and he was taken to England by SirJohn McNeil, who was at that time the British resident at the court ofPersia.
"When his portrait was being painted, he was languid, from the cold ofthe weather. It was desired to arouse him a little, and the ideaoccurred of trying the effect of some tones of simple music.
"The sounds no sooner struck his ear, than his whole frame was agitated;his heart throbbed so violently that its beating could be seen; and sogreat was his excitement, that it was necessary instantly to stop themusic. Some chord of feeling had been struck; perchance he was reminded,for a moment, of his desert home, and of the friends from whom he hadbeen so rudely severed."
"O, father," said Minnie, with glistening eyes, "I wish I could see thathorse. I would be ever so kind to him. Please tell another story as goodas that; can't you?"
"When the Arab falls from his mare, and is unable to rise," thegentleman went on, "she will stand by his side and neigh till assistancearrives. If he lies down to sleep in the midst of the desert, she standswatchful over him,--her body being the only shield between him and thefierce rays of the sun,--and neighs to rouse him, if man or beastapproaches during his slumbers.
"There was once an old Arab who had a valuable mare, that had carriedhim for fifteen years in many a hard-fought battle, and many a rapid,weary march. At last, when eighty years old, and unable longer to rideher, he gave her, and a cimeter that had been his father's, to hiseldest son, and told him to appreciate their value, and never lie downto rest until he had rubbed them both as bright as a looking-glass.
"In the first skirmish in which the young man was engaged he was killed,and the mare fell into the hands of the enemy. When the news reached theold man, he exclaimed, 'Life is no longer worth preserving. I have lostmy son and my mare. I grieve as much for the one as the other.' Afterthis, he sickened and died."
"How much the old man did love him!" said Minnie, thoughtfully. "Is thatthe story you promised me?"
"No, dear," said Mr. Lee, looking at his watch; "but I must tell you atonce, for I have an engagement soon."
"There was a poor Arab in the desert--so poor that he had nothing buthis mare. The French consul saw her, and offered to purchase her, inorder to send her to his sovereign, Louis XIV. The Arab would haverejected the proposal at once with indignation and scorn, but for hispoverty. He had no means of supplying his most urgent wants, orprocuring the barest necessaries of life. Still he hesitated. He hadscarcely a rag to cover him; his wife and children were starving. Thesum offered was great--it would be sufficient for his whole life.
"At length, and reluctantly, he consented to the sacrifice. He broughtthe mare to the dwelling of the consul; he dismounted; he stood leaningupon her; he looked now at the gold, and then at his favorite, whilelarge tears rolled down his swarthy cheek. He sighed repeatedly, and atlength exclaimed, 'To whom is it I am going to yield thee up? ToEuropeans, who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, who will renderthee miserabl
e? Return with me, my beauty, my jewel, and rejoice thehearts of my children.'
"As he pronounced the last words, he sprang upon her back, and was outof sight in a moment."
Minnie laughed and clapped her hands, though tears of sympathy with thepoor Arab were running down her cheeks.
"O, father!" she cried, "how glad, how very glad I am! I think, too,that the French consul, when he saw how the man loved his mare, shouldhave given him money to buy his children food and clothes. I'm sure youwould have done so."
Mr. Lee smiled, and thanked God for the child's loving heart.
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MINNIE'S PET MONKEY.
BY
MRS. MADELINE LESLIE, AUTHOR OF "THE LESLIE STORIES," "TIM, THE SCISSORS-GRINDER," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD, SUCCESSORS TO PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO. 1864.
Transcriber's Note
The following typographical errors were corrected:
52 whatever. changed to whatever." 82 willing te be changed to willing to be 83 'I know, changed to "I know, 88 next chapters." changed to next chapters. 130 plough horses, changed to plough horses
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