[Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders]@TWC D-Link book
Beautiful Joe

CHAPTER XVII MR
11/16

She was a wicked looking little thing, so I thought I had better keep at a safe distance from her heels.
Mr.Wood petted her a great deal and I saw that she was his favorite.
"Saucebox," he exclaimed, when she pretended to bite him, "you know if you bite me, I'll bite back again.

I think I've conquered you," he said, proudly, as he stroked her glossy neck; "but what a dance you led me.
Do you remember how I bought you for a mere song, because you had a bad habit of turning around like a flash in front of anything that frightened you, and bolting off the other way?
And how did I cure you, my beauty?
Beat you and make you stubborn?
Not I.I let you go round and round; I turned you and twisted you, the oftener the better for me, till at last I got it into your pretty head that turning and twisting was addling your brains, and you had better let me be master.
"You've minded me from that day, haven't you?
Horse, or man, or dog aren't much good till they learn to obey, and I've thrown you down and I'll do it again if you bite me, so take care." Scamp tossed her pretty head, and took little pieces of Mr.Wood's shirt sleeve in her mouth, keeping her cunning brown eye on him as if to see how far she could go.

But she did not bite him.

I think she loved him, for when he left her she whinnied shrilly, and he had to go back and stroke and caress her.
After that I often used to watch her as she went about the farm.

She always seemed to be tugging and striving at her load, and trying to step out fast and do a great deal of work.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books