Page 116 - Lavender-B-6

‘The bridge is broken in the middle, and part of it is

carried away; if you come on you’ll be into the river.’ You must have seen the
horse cart of medieval times
‘Thank God!’ said my master. ‘You Beauty!’ said John, in movies or books.
Let’s connect
and took the bridle and gently turned me round to What does it look like? Do you
the right-hand road by the river side. The sun had set find any similarities or differences
between that horse cart and the
some time; the wind seemed to have lulled off after that one shown in this story?
furious blast which tore up the tree. It grew darker and
darker, stiller and stiller. I trotted quietly along, the wheels hardly making a sound on the

soft road. For a good while neither master nor John spoke, and then master began in a
serious voice. I could not understand much of what they said, but I found they thought,
if I had gone on as the master wanted me, most likely the bridge would have given way
under us, and horse, chaise, master, and man would have fallen into the river; and as the
current was flowing very strongly, and there was no light and no help at hand, it was more
than likely we should all have been drowned. Master said, God had given men reason,

by which they could find out things for themselves; but he had given animals knowledge
which did not depend on reason, and which was much more prompt and perfect in its
way, and by which they had often saved the lives of men. John had many stories to tell of
dogs and horses, and the wonderful things they had done; he thought people did not value
their animals half enough nor make friends of them as they ought to do. I am sure he

makes friends of them if ever a man did.

At last, we came to the park gates and found the gardener looking out for us. He said that
mistress had been in a dreadful way ever since dark, fearing some accident had happened
and that she had sent James off on Justice, the roan cob,
toward the wooden
bridge to make

inquiry after us.

bridle: a set of leather straps
that are put around a horse’s
head to allow its rider to
control it
lulled: calmed
chaise: a carriage
dreadful: causing fear, shock,
or suffering
roan cob: a stocky short-legged
riding horse with a brownish
coat thickly sprinkled with
white or grey

116