BLACK BEAUTY

ANNA SEWELL
CONTENTS

• TO BE KNOWN
• BOOK INTRO
• BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK
• BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
• AUTHOR HISTORY
• PLOT SUMMARY
• GENRE
• ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL
• PUBLICATIONS
• RECEPTION
• CHARACTERS OF THE NOVEL
• A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• CHAPTER-9, ADIEU TO BIRTWICK
TO BE KNOWN

• AUTHOR ANNA SEWELL

• COUNTRY UNITED KINGDOM
• LANGUAGE ENGLISH
• GENRE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
• PUBLISHER JARROLD & SONS
• PUBLICATION DATE 24 NOVEMBER 1877
• PAGES 255
INSIDE THE BOOK COVER OF THE BOOK
BOOK INTRO
• BLACK BEAUTY: HIS GROOMS AND COMPANIONS, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A
HORSE IS AN 1877 NOVEL BY ENGLISH AUTHOR ANNA SEWELL. IT WAS
COMPOSED IN THE LAST YEARS OF HER LIFE, DURING WHICH SHE REMAINED
IN HER HOUSE AS AN INVALID.THE NOVEL BECAME AN IMMEDIATE BEST-
SELLER, WITH SEWELL DYING JUST FIVE MONTHS AFTER ITS PUBLICATION,
BUT HAVING LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE HER ONLY NOVEL BECOME A
SUCCESS. WITH FIFTY MILLION COPIES SOLD, BLACK BEAUTY IS ONE OF THE
BEST-SELLING BOOKS OF ALL TIME.
• WHILE FORTHRIGHTLY TEACHING ANIMAL WELFARE, IT ALSO TEACHES HOW
TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS, SYMPATHY, AND RESPECT. IN 2003, THE
NOVEL WAS LISTED AT NUMBER 58 ON THE BBC'S SURVEY THE BIG READ. IT
IS SEEN AS A FORERUNNER OF THE PONY BOOK.
• “THERE IS NO RELIGION WITHOUT LOVE, AND PEOPLE MAY TALK AS MUCH
AS THEY LIKE ABOUT THEIR RELIGION, BUT IF IT DOES NOT TEACH THEM TO
BE GOOD AND KIND TO MAN AND BEAST, IT IS ALL A SHAM.”
- ANNA SEWELL
 BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK
• “THERE IS NO RELIGION WITHOUT LOVE, AND PEOPLE MAY TALK AS MUCH AS THEY LIKE ABOUT
THEIR RELIGION, BUT IF IT DOES NOT TEACH THEM TO BE GOOD AND KIND TO MAN AND BEAST,
IT IS ALL A SHAM..”
— BLACK BEAUTY, CHAPTER 13, LAST PARAGRAPH.
• ALTHOUGH BLACK BEAUTY IS LOOKED AT AS A CHILDREN'S NOVEL, SEWELL DID NOT WRITE THE
NOVEL FOR CHILDREN. SHE SAID THAT HER PURPOSE IN WRITING THE NOVEL WAS "TO INDUCE
KINDNESS, SYMPATHY, AND AN UNDERSTANDING TREATMENT OF HORSES"—AN INFLUENCE SHE
ATTRIBUTED TO AN ESSAY ON ANIMALS SHE READ EARLIER BY HORACE BUSHNELL (1802–1876)
ENTITLED "ESSAY ON ANIMALS". HER SYMPATHETIC PORTRAYAL OF THE PLIGHT OF WORKING
ANIMALS LED TO A VAST OUTPOURING OF CONCERN FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND IS SAID TO HAVE
BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE ABOLITION OF THE CRUEL PRACTICE OF USING THE CHECKREIN (OR
"BEARING REIN", A STRAP USED TO KEEP HORSES' HEADS HIGH, FASHIONABLE IN VICTORIAN
ENGLAND BUT PAINFUL AND DAMAGING TO A HORSE'S NECK). BLACK BEAUTY ALSO MENTIONS
THE USE OF BLINKERS ON HORSES, CONCLUDING THAT THIS USE IS LIKELY TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS
AT NIGHT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH "THE FULL USE OF" A HORSE'S ABILITY TO "SEE MUCH
BETTER IN THE DARK THAN MEN CAN."
“We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot
tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they
have no words.”
-Anna Sewell
 BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
• ANNA SEWELL WAS AN ENGLISH NOVELIST. SHE IS WELL KNOWN AS THE
AUTHOR OF THE 1877 NOVEL BLACK BEAUTY, HER ONLY PUBLISHED WORK,
WHICH IS NOW CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP TEN BEST SELLING NOVELS
FOR CHILDREN, ALTHOUGH IT WAS INTENDED AT THE TIME FOR AN ADULT
AUDIENCE. SHE DIED ONLY FIVE MONTHS AFTER BLACK BEAUTY PUBLISHED.
• BORN 30 MARCH 1820
• GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK, ENGLAND
• DIED 25 APRIL 1878 (AGED 58)
• OLD CATTON, NORFOLK, ENGLAND
• RESTING PLACE QUAKER BURIAL GROUND, LAMMAS
• OCCUPATION NOVELIST
• NATIONALITY ENGLISH
• PERIOD 19TH CENTURY
• GENRE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
ANNA SEWELL IN 1877
 AUTHOR HISTORY
• ANNA SEWELL WAS BORN IN GREAT YARMOUTH, ENGLAND, AND HAD A BROTHER
NAMED PHILIP, WHO WAS AN ENGINEER IN EUROPE. AT THE AGE OF 14, ANNA FELL
WHILE WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL IN THE RAIN AND INJURED BOTH
ANKLES.THROUGH THE MISTREATMENT OF THE INJURY, SHE BECAME UNABLE TO
WALK OR STAND FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. DISABLED
AND UNABLE TO WALK, SHE BEGAN LEARNING ABOUT HORSES, SPENDING MANY
HOURS DRIVING HER FATHER TO AND FROM THE STATION FROM WHICH HE
COMMUTED TO WORK. HER DEPENDENCE ON HORSE-DRAWN TRANSPORTATION
FOSTERED HER RESPECT FOR HORSES. SEWELL'S INTRODUCTION TO WRITING BEGAN
IN HER YOUTH WHEN SHE HELPED EDIT THE WORKS OF HER MOTHER, MARY WRIGHT
SEWELL (1797–1884), A DEEPLY RELIGIOUS, POPULAR AUTHOR OF JUVENILE BEST-
SELLERS.

• ANNA SEWELL NEVER MARRIED OR HAD CHILDREN. IN VISITS TO EUROPEAN SPAS, SHE
MET MANY WRITERS, ARTISTS, AND PHILANTHROPISTS. HER ONLY BOOK WAS BLACK
BEAUTY, WRITTEN BETWEEN 1871 AND 1877 IN HER HOUSE AT OLD CATTON. DURING
THIS TIME, HER HEALTH WAS DECLINING, AND SHE COULD BARELY GET OUT OF BED
 AUTHOR HISTORY
• HER DEARLY-LOVED MOTHER OFTEN HAD TO HELP HER WITH HER ILLNESS. SHE SOLD
THE BOOK TO THE LOCAL PUBLISHERS, JARROLD & SONS. THE BOOK BROKE RECORDS
FOR SALES AND IS THE "SIXTH BEST SELLER IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE."BY TELLING
THE STORY OF A HORSE'S LIFE IN THE FORM OF AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND DESCRIBING
THE WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF THE HORSE, ANNA SEWELL BROKE NEW LITERARY
GROUND.

• SEWELL DIED OF HEPATITIS OR TUBERCULOSIS ON 25 APRIL 1878, ONLY FIVE MONTHS

AFTER THE NOVEL WAS PUBLISHED, BUT SHE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE ITS INITIAL
SUCCESS.SHE WAS BURIED ON 30 APRIL 1878 IN THE QUAKER BURIAL-GROUND AT
LAMMAS NEAR BUXTON, NORFOLK, WHERE A WALL PLAQUE MARKS HER RESTING
PLACE. HER BIRTHPLACE IN CHURCH PLAIN, GREAT YARMOUTH, IS NOW A MUSEUM.
 PLOT SUMMARY
• THE STORY IS NARRATED IN THE FIRST PERSON AS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR TOLD
BY THE TITULAR HORSE NAMED BLACK BEAUTY—BEGINNING WITH HIS CAREFREE DAYS AS
A FOAL ON AN ENGLISH FARM WITH HIS MOTHER, TO HIS DIFFICULT LIFE PULLING CABS IN
LONDON, TO HIS HAPPY RETIREMENT IN THE COUNTRY. ALONG THE WAY, HE MEETS WITH
MANY HARDSHIPS AND RECOUNTS MANY TALES OF CRUELTY AND KINDNESS. EACH SHORT
CHAPTER RECOUNTS AN INCIDENT IN BLACK BEAUTY'S LIFE CONTAINING A LESSON OR
MORAL TYPICALLY RELATED TO THE KINDNESS, SYMPATHY, AND UNDERSTANDING
TREATMENT OF HORSES, WITH SEWELL'S DETAILED OBSERVATIONS AND EXTENSIVE
DESCRIPTIONS OF HORSE BEHAVIOR LENDING THE NOVEL A GOOD DEAL OF
VERISIMILITUDE.
• THE BOOK DESCRIBES CONDITIONS AMONG LONDON HORSE-DRAWN TAXICAB DRIVERS,
INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP CAUSED TO THEM BY HIGH LICENSE FEES AND LOW,
LEGALLY FIXED FARES. A PAGE FOOTNOTE IN SOME EDITIONS SAYS THAT SOON AFTER THE
BOOK WAS PUBLISHED, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 6-DAY TAXICAB LICENSES (NOT
ALLOWED TO TRADE ON SUNDAYS) AND 7-DAY TAXICAB LICENSES (ALLOWED TO TRADE ON
SUNDAYS) WAS ABOLISHED AND THE TAXICAB LICENSE FEE WAS MUCH REDUCED.
GENRE

• BLACK BEAUTY IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST FICTIONAL

ANIMAL AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.ORIGINALLY MEANT TO BE INFORMATIVE
LITERATURE READ BY ADULTS ON THE NORMS OF HORSE CRUELTY AND
PREVENTIONS OF THESE UNJUST ACTS, BLACK BEAUTY IS NOW SEEN AS A
CHILDREN'S BOOK. A NOVEL NARRATED BY THE MAIN CHARACTER, BLACK
BEAUTY IS NOW READ BY THOUSANDS OF KIDS WORLDWIDE.
“What right had they to make me suffer like
that?”
-Anna Sewell
ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL
• SEWELL USES ANTHROPOMORPHISM IN BLACK BEAUTY. THE TEXT ADVOCATES
THE FAIRER TREATMENT OF HORSES IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND. THE STORY IS
NARRATED FROM BLACK BEAUTY'S PERSPECTIVE AND RESULTANTLY READERS
ARGUABLY GAINED INSIGHT INTO HOW HORSES SUFFERED THROUGH THEIR
USE BY HUMAN BEINGS WITH RESTRICTIVE TECHNICAL OBJECTS LIKE THE
"BEARING REIN" AND "BLINKERS" AS WELL AS PROCEDURES LIKE CUTTING OFF
THE TAILS OF THE HORSES. FOR INSTANCE, GINGER DESCRIBES THE PHYSICAL
EFFECTS OF THE "BEARING REIN" TO BLACK BEAUTY, BY STATING, "... IT IS
DREADFUL... YOUR NECK ACHING UNTIL YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO BEAR IT...
ITS HURT MY TONGUE AND MY JAW AND THE BLOOD FROM MY TONGUE
COVERED THE FROTH THAT KEPT FLYING FROM MY LIPS". TESS COSLETT
HIGHLIGHTS THAT BLACK BEAUTY'S STORY IS STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT
MAKES HIM SIMILAR TO THOSE HE SERVES
ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL
• . THE HORSES IN THE TEXT HAVE REACTIONS AS WELL AS EMOTIONS AND
CHARACTERISTICS, LIKE LOVE AND LOYALTY, WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO
THOSE OF HUMAN BEINGS. COSLETT EMPHASIZES THAT, WHILE BLACK
BEAUTY IS NOT THE FIRST BOOK WRITTEN IN THE STYLE OF AN ANIMAL
AUTOBIOGRAPHY, IT IS A NOVEL THAT "ALLOWS THE READER TO SLIDE IN
AND OUT OF HORSE-CONSCIOUSNESS, BLURRING THE HUMAN/ANIMAL
DIVIDE".DWYER SUGGESTS THAT "BY THE END OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY THE CONCERN FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WAS OFTEN MEDIATED BY
CONSIDERATIONS OF UTILITY", IMPLYING THAT THESE ANIMALS (HORSES)
WERE SEEN TO GET THE JOB DONE BY ANY MEANS RATHER THAN THE
APPROACH THAT THEY COULD BE DEMONIZING THE ANIMAL.
PUBLICATIONS
• PUBLISHED IN 1877, IN THE LAST YEARS OF ANNA SEWELL'S LIFE, BLACK
BEAUTY SOLD OVER 50 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE IN 50 DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES. THIS DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT SPARKED PEOPLE'S INTEREST TO
SPEAK FOR HORSES’ WELL-BEING AND IMPLEMENT
LEGISLATION.ACCORDING TO SEWELL, PROVIDING INFORMATION WAS HER
ORIGINAL GOAL OF HORSE INJUSTICE.ALTHOUGH THE SHIFT OF
PERSPECTIVES WAS SEEN AS GOOD FOR SOME, IT WAS ALSO AN ISSUE TO
OTHERS INCLUDING HORSE OWNERS AND PEOPLE WHO SOLD SUCH
EQUIPMENT FOR HORSES (EQUIPMENT LIKE BLINDERS). FOR OTHER
REASONS, BLACK BEAUTY BECAME BANNED IN SOME COUNTRIES SUCH AS
SOUTH AFRICA FOR CONTAINING THE WORDS "BLACK" AND "BEAUTY"
DURING ITS APARTHEID RESTRICTIONS ON AFRICAN NATIVES.
RECEPTION

• UPON PUBLICATION OF THE BOOK, MANY READERS RELATED TO THE PAIN

OF THE VICTIMIZED HORSES, SYMPATHIZED AND ULTIMATELY WANTED TO
SEE THE INTRODUCTION OF REFORMS THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE WELL-
BEING OF HORSES. TWO YEARS AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE NOVEL, ONE
MILLION COPIES OF BLACK BEAUTY WERE IN CIRCULATION IN THE UNITED
STATES. IN ADDITION, ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WOULD HABITUALLY
DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF THE NOVEL TO HORSE DRIVERS AND TO PEOPLE IN
STABLES. THE DEPICTION OF THE "BEARING REIN" IN BLACK BEAUTY
SPURRED SO MUCH OUTRAGE AND EMPATHY FROM READERS THAT ITS USE
WAS NOT ONLY ABOLISHED IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND, BUT PUBLIC INTEREST
IN ANTI-CRUELTY LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES ALSO GREW
SIGNIFICANTLY
RECEPTION

• THE ARGUABLY DETRIMENTAL SOCIAL PRACTICES CONCERNING THE USE

OF HORSES IN BLACK BEAUTY INSPIRED THE DEVELOPMENT OF
LEGISLATION IN VARIOUS STATES THAT WOULD CONDEMN SUCH ABUSIVE
BEHAVIORS TOWARDS ANIMALS. THE IMPACT OF THE NOVEL IS STILL VERY
MUCH RECOGNIZED TODAY. WRITING IN THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANIMAL
RIGHTS AND ANIMAL WELFARE, BERNARD UNTI CALLS BLACK BEAUTY "THE
MOST INFLUENTIAL ANTI CRUELTY NOVEL OF ALL TIME". COMPARISONS
HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE BETWEEN BLACK BEAUTY AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT SOCIAL PROTEST NOVEL IN THE UNITED STATES, UNCLE TOM'S
CABIN, BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, ON ACCOUNT OF THE STRONG
DEGREE OF OUTRAGE AND PROTEST ACTION THAT BOTH NOVELS
TRIGGERED IN SOCIETY
“My troubles are all over, and I am at home; and often before I
am quite awake, I fancy I am still in the orchard at Birtwick,
standing with my friends under the apple trees.”
-Anna Sewell
 CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL

• HORSES
• DARKIE (BLACK BEAUTY)/BLACK AUSTER/JACK/BLACKIE/OLD CRONY — THE NARRATOR OF THE STORY, A HANDSOME BLACK
HORSE. HE BEGINS HIS CAREER AS A CARRIAGE HORSE FOR WEALTHY PEOPLE BUT WHEN HE "BREAKS HIS KNEES" (I.E.
DEVELOPS SCARS ON THE FRONTS OF HIS WRIST (CARPAL) JOINTS AFTER A BAD FALL) HE IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED
PRESENTABLE ENOUGH AND IS PUT TO MUCH HARDER WORK. HE PASSES THROUGH THE HANDS OF A SERIES OF OWNERS,
SOME CRUEL, SOME KIND. HE ALWAYS TRIES HIS BEST TO SERVE HUMANS DESPITE THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
• DUCHESS (NICKNAMED "PET") — BEAUTY'S AND ROB ROY'S MOTHER, WHO ENCOURAGES BEAUTY TO BE GOOD FROM A
YOUNG AGE.
• ROB ROY — A FELLOW BLACK HORSE FROM BEAUTY'S ORIGINAL FARM, WHO IS KILLED IN A HUNTING INCIDENT (ALONG
WITH HIS RIDER, SQUIRE GORDON'S ONLY SON). IT IS LATER LEARNED THAT HE WAS BEAUTY'S HALF-BROTHER, AN OLDER SON
OF DUCHESS.
• LIZZIE — A HIGH-STRUNG, NERVOUS MARE WHOM LADY ANNE RIDES ONE DAY AND IS SPOOKED UNTIL BLACK BEAUTY
COMES TO HER AID WITH HIS RIDER.
• GINGER — A COMPANION OF BEAUTY'S AT BIRTWICK PARK, SHE IS NAMED FOR HER CHESTNUT COLOR AND HER HABIT OF
BITING, WHICH IS OFTEN HOW THE SPICE, GINGER, IS DESCRIBED. GINGER IS A MORE AGGRESSIVE HORSE DUE TO HER
TRAUMATIC UPBRINGING. AFTER BEING RIDDEN BY LORD GEORGE IN A STEEPLECHASE HER BACK IS STRAINED. BEAUTY AND
GINGER MEET FOR THE LAST TIME AS BROKEN-DOWN CAB HORSES IN LONDON, AND LATER A CART CARRYING A DEAD HORSE
(WHOM BEAUTY BELIEVES IS GINGER), PASSES BY BEAUTY.
• MERRYLEGS — A SHORT, DAPPLED GREY, HANDSOME PONY WHO IS POLITE TO HUMANS AND HORSES ALIKE. HE IS RIDDEN BY
THE YOUNG DAUGHTERS AT BIRTWICK PARK, THEN SENT TO LIVE WITH A VICAR WHO PROMISES NEVER TO SELL HIM.
CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL

• SIR OLIVER — AN OLDER HORSE WHOSE TAIL WAS DOCKED, TO HIS GREAT ANNOYANCE AND DISCOMFORT.
• RORY — A JOB HORSE USUALLY PAIRED WITH BLACK BEAUTY. BECAME A COAL CARTING HORSE AFTER
GETTING HIT IN THE CHEST BY A CART DRIVEN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.
• PEGGY — A HIRED HORSE WHO CANNOT RUN VERY FAST DUE TO HER SHORT LEGS. SHE RUNS AT AN ODD
HOPPING PACE BETWEEN A TROT AND A CANTER WHEN EXPECTED TO KEEP PACE WITH OTHER HORSES AT A
FAST TROT. WHEN PAIRED WITH A FASTER HORSE TO PULL A CARRIAGE SHE OFTEN GETS WHIPPED FOR NOT
KEEPING UP. SOLD TO TWO LADIES WHO WANTED A SAFE HORSE.
• UNNAMED YOUNG HORSE — PAIRED WITH BEAUTY AFTER PEGGY LEAVES. OFTEN FRIGHTENED BY THINGS
HE CANNOT SEE AS HE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE DANGEROUS OR NOT.
• CAPTAIN — A FORMER ARMY HORSE WHO WITNESSED HORRIFIC INCIDENTS IN THE CRIMEAN WAR,
ALTHOUGH HE WAS WELL TREATED AND RECEIVED NO SERIOUS WOUNDS. HE LOST HIS BELOVED MASTER
IN THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. HE BECAME A CAB-HORSE FOR JERRY, WHERE HE WORKS WITH
BLACK BEAUTY. AFTER A PENETRATING SHOULDER INJURY FROM A CARRIAGE POLE DUE TO A COLLISION
WITH A CARRIAGE WHOSE DRIVER WAS DRUNK, JERRY HAS HIM SHOT RATHER THAN SEND HIM TO WORK
AS A CART-HORSE.
• HOTSPUR — A FIVE-YEAR-OLD HORSE BOUGHT TO REPLACE CAPTAIN. JERRY SELLS HIM TO GRANT WHEN
HE LEAVES LONDON.
• JUSTICE — A CALM PEACEFUL HORSE THAT BEAUTY MEETS AT BIRTWICK PARK.
 A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• BLACK BEAUTY
BLACK BEAUTY IS THE NARRATOR OF THE STORY. HE IS A BEAUTIFUL STRONG HORSE WHO ALWAYS STRIVES
TO DO HIS BEST. HE LEARNED GOOD MANNERS FROM HIS MOTHER AND LIVED BY THOSE PRINCIPLES FOR THE
REST OF HIS LIFE.
• DUCHESS
DUCHESS IS BLACK BEAUTY’S MOM. SHE ADVISES HIM TO ALWAYS TRY HIS BEST AND TO BE OF GOOD
CHARACTER.
• FARMER GREY
FARMER GREY IS BLACK BEAUTY’S FIRST MASTER. A KIND OLD FELLOW, HE IS THE ONE WHO HANDLES THE
BREAKING-IN OF BEAUTY.
• DICK
DICK THE PLOWBOY THROWS STONES AT HORSES IN THE MEADOW WHERE BEAUTY GROWS UP.
• DANIEL
OLD DANIEL IS SOMEONE WHO SYMPATHIZES FOR HORSES AND DEFENDS THEM FROM STONE-THROWING
DICK.
• GEORGE GORDON
GEORGE GORDON IS THE SON OF SQUIRE GORDON. HE DIES IN A HUNTING ACCIDENT.
 A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS

• ROB ROY
ROB ROY IS THE SON OF DUCHESS AND THUS BLACK BEAUTY’S BROTHER. HE IS KILLED IN A
HUNTING ACCIDENT AS HE SERVES HIS MASTER GEORGE GORDON.
• SQUIRE GORDON
THE ONE WHO BUYS BEAUTY FROM FARMER GREY. HE IS A VERY KIND, JUST MAN WHO
MAKES SURE THAT HIS HORSES ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
• MERRYLEGS
IS A PRETTY LITTLE HORSE WHO IS ALWAYS CHEERFUL. BLACK BEAUTY MEETS HIM IN
BIRTWICK PARK AND THEY SOON BECOME FAST FRIENDS.
JOHN MANLY
JOHN MANLY IS THE ADEPT, KIND, WISE COACHMAN OF SQUIRE GORDON’S ESTATE. HE
TAKES A GREAT LIKING TO BEAUTY, WHO LOVES HIM VERY MUCH IN RETURN.
 A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• JAMES HOWARD
JAMES HOWARD IS SQUIRE GORDON’S GROOM. HE IS A BRAVE, SKILLFUL, AND RESPONSIBLE YOUNG
MAN.
• SIR OLIVER
SIR OLIVER IS ANOTHER ONE OF SQUIRE GORDON’S HORSES. HIS TAIL WAS DOCKED.
• MISS JESSIE
SQUIRE GORDON’S DAUGHTER
• MRS. GORDON
SQUIRE GORDON’S WIFE. SHE IS KIND, CARING AND BRAVE, ALWAYS READY TO STAND UP FOR THE
OPPRESSED.
• MR. RYDER
MR. RYDER IS GINGER’S OLD MASTER. GINGER WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM UNDER THIS MAN WERE
IT NOT FOR HIS IGNORANCE IN CHOOSING GOOD CARETAKERS.
• SAMSON
SAMSON IS RYDER’S SON. HE IS VERY HARD-HANDED AND ONE DAY ABUSES GINGER.
A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• JOB
JOB IS SAMSON’S REPLACEMENT
• DR. WHITE
THE DOCTOR WHICH JOHN MANLY CALLS TO TAKE CARE OF THE MISTRESS.
• EARL OF W---
BEAUTY’S ONE-TIME OWNER. SQUIRE GORDON SELLS HIM TO THE EARL. THE EARL WOULD HAVE TAKEN
GOOD CARE OF THE HORSES WERE IT NOT FOR DRACONIAN DEMANDS TO KEEP THE CHECK REINS TIGHT ON
THE HORSES.
• MR. YORK
THE EARL’S COACHMAN. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE HORSES ARE OFTEN IN PAIN FROM THE LADY’S
DEMANDS BUT DOES NOT STAND UP FOR THEM.
• LADY ANNE
DAUGHTER OF THE EARL. ONE DAY SHE IS CAUGHT ON A FRIGHTENED HORSE AND BEAUTY AND HIS RIDER
MUST RESCUE HER.
• LIZZIE
A LIVELY HORSE OF THE EARL’S. SHE IS A BIT HIGH-STRUNG AND ONE DAY SHE BOLTS WITH LADY ANNE
TRAPPED ON HER BACK.
A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• GEORGE
ANNE’S BROTHER AND THE EARL’S SON. GEORGE TAKES GINGER OUT HUNTING AND OFTEN OVERWORKS HER UNTIL SHE
BECOMES TOO WEAK TO REMAIN WORKING THERE.

• REUBEN SMITH
A VERY ADEPT AND CARING COACHMAN. SMITH HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSES HIM TO INJURE
BEAUTY’S FOOT AS HE RIDES HIM AND HE DIES IN THAT RIDING ACCIDENT.

• SUSAN
SMITH’S WIFE. SHE GRIEVES OVER HER HUSBAND’S DEATH.

• RORY
A ONE-TIME COMPANION HORSE TO BEAUTY. HE IS GOOD AND HONEST.

• PEGGY
A BEAUTIFUL HORSE WITH AN INTERESTING WAY OF RUNNING. SHE HAS THE ODD GAIT BECAUSE OF PAST ABUSE IN HER
LIFE.

• MR. BARRY
AN OLD BACHELOR WHO BUYS BLACK BEAUTY AND ASSIGNS GROOMS TO LOOK AFTER HIM.
 A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• DOLLY
JEREMIAH'S (JERRY'S) DAUGHTER
• POLLY
JERRY'S WIFE.
HARRY
JERRY'S SON
• MRS. BRIGGS
A LADY WHO VALUES JERRY’S SERVICE AND REQUESTS THAT HE DRIVE HER SUNDAYS TO CHURCH

• MR. FILCHER
THE FIRST GROOM MR. BARRY HIRES. HE TURNS OUT TO BE A THIEF.

• ALFRED SMIRK
SMIRK IS THE SECOND GROOM MR. BARRY HIRES. HE IS OUTWARDLY PLEASING BUT INWARDLY VERY INEPT AT
TAKING CARE OF HORSES.

• JEREMIAH BARKER
A CAB DRIVER IN LONDON. HE IS A MAN OF HIGH CHARACTER, AND BEAUTY IS DELIGHTED TO BECOME HIS HORSE.
 A DEEP DIG INTO THE CHARACTERS
• DINAH BROWN
A YOUNG LADY WHO NEEDS HELP REACHING HER SICK MOTHER. JERRY OFFERS TO TAKE
HER FREE OF CHARGE.
• NICOLAS SKINNER
THE CRUEL, HARD CAB OWNER OF LONDON. HE EXPLOITS HIS WORKERS, WHO EXPLOIT
THEIR HORSES.
• FARMER THOROUGHGOOD
A KIND OLD FARMER. HE BUYS THE PITIFUL BEAUTY AND NURTURES HIM BACK TO HEALTH
WITH THE HELP OF HIS GRANDSON.
• MISS BLOOMEFIELD
ONE OF BEAUTY’S LAST MASTERS. THEY ARE VERY KIND AND PROMISE TO NEVER SELL
BEAUTY.
• MISS ELEN
ONE OF BEAUTY’S LAST MASTERS. THEY ARE VERY KIND AND PROMISE TO NEVER SELL
BEAUTY.
 CHAPTER 9
ADIEU TO BIRTWICK
CHARACTERS IN THIS CHAPTER

• BLACK BEAUTY (DARKIE)

• GINGER
• MERRYLEGS
• SQUIRE GORDON
• JOHN MANLY
• JOE GREEN
• SIR OLIVER
• MR.YORK
SCENE -1 : MISTRESS GROWING ILL

My mistress was getting weak and unhealthy, day by day. She was frail. Ginger, I and Merrylegs missed her too
much for the outings. My master looked so worried all the time that we had prepared ourselves for some bad
tidings. One day while we were enjoying our siesta, Ginger called me up and told me that she had heard the
master say that they were going to leave the town tor many years. The doctor in his consultation had advised my
mistress to go to some warm country to live, as a part of her treatment.

Next day, I overheard the master speaking to John that Merrylegs would be sent to the Vicar to live there. Even
John had to look for a new place to work. The master had asked him which job he would like to do. It did not
take him long to decide that he could be a horse trainer or colt-breaker. Joe Green was to go with Merrylegs to
the Vicar where he
would take care of Merrylegs till he was alive. When horses get old or are severely wounded, they are shot dead
by masters. So, it was all settled on the part of Merrylegs.
For John Manly, the master had written a letter addressing to his agent who lived in London saying that he
should find Some place to work for John. I heard John telling all this to Joe. I wondered where ou rnext home
was going to be. One day, John said that Ginger and I would go to Earlshall Park. The master living there was a
very rich person and also a good friend of the Squire.
SCENE -2: MOVING OUT

So, the preparations were being made in the depths of hearts thinking that we should depart for the sake of he l
life and health of the mistress. Finally, the day of adieu came. Since morning, one by one, the horses had been
taken out of the stable to carry thanks to their new owner. Many of the servants were also missing. Even they
had gone away. Joe came up to me. He had tears in his eyes. We had spent a long time together: I, Ginger,
Merrylegs, John and Sir Oliver. But now, it was the end of everything. Then he caught Merrylegs by the bridle
and led him out.

Ginger and I had to take the master and the mistress to the station.By noon, all were gone except Ginger and I.
Besides us, there were John, two or three servants and the master and the mistress. Each one of us had tears in
eyes. I hadn't come across such kind men. Both of us were harnessed and the luggage was kept in thecarriage.
Finally, the master came downstairs with the mistress. l had seen her after a long period. She had been reduced
to half her health. As we left Birtwick Park, I could feel each member of Birtwick Park weeping.
At the station, the master and the mistress came down the carriage to board the train. Joe helped the servants to
take the luggage out of the carriage. The mistress for the last time saw us, bidding us farewell.
Joe stood beside me weeping silently and John was hiding his face in the carriage.
It was the worst day of my life. Next day, Ginger and I also had to leave Birtwick Park.
SCENE- 3: IN THE EARLSHALL PARK

John led us to Earlshall Park. "Sir, you won't get a better pair of horses than this one. They don't even require
a bearing rein or a whip. They are as swift and fast as wind," John introduced us to Mr. York, the Earl's
coachman. But what Mr. York told John was a matter of worry, John stood wondering if we could manage to
stay there for long. Mr. York said, "I myself don't prefer the bearing rein much. The lordship does not mind
either. But I fear the lady will have it on them. She can never go out without the bearing rein on the horses put
to her carriage. She appreciates that her horses hold their heads high towards the sky. It is her fashion and she
believes in the latest trend."
After this news, John didn't actually want to leave us there. But the couldn't break the promise he made to the
master Squire. So he hung his head and left after patting us.
We stood thinking what was next in store for us.
CHAPTER SUMMARY

AS MISTRESS’HEALTH CONDITION GETTING WORSE DAY BY DAY , THEIR MASTER

GETS SADDER. GINGER CONVEYS TO THE HORSES THAT THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE THE
TOWN FOR MANY YEARS AS THE DOCTOR SUGGESTED THE MISTRESS TO LIVE IN A
WARM COUNTRY AS A PART OF THE TREATMENT.
JOE AND MERRYLEGS ARE TO BE TAKEN TO THE VICAR BY JOHN WHERE HE BECOMES
A HORSE TRAINER OR COLT BREAKER.GINGER AND DARKIE WILL BE TAKEN TO
EARLSHALL PARK.JOE, MERRYLEGS MASTER AND MISTRESS LEAVES THE PLACE FOR
THE LAST TIME WITH A SAD NOTE... DARKIE DESCRIBES IT AS THE WORST DAY OF
HER LIFE.
THE NEXT DAY, GINGER AND DARKIE ALSO LEAVES THE BIRTWICK PARK.JOHN
LEAVING THE TWO HORSES, BLACK BEAUTY AND GINGER IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
MR.YORK, EARL'S COACHMAN.
.... THE STORY CONTINUES
(IF YOU LIKE TO SEE THE NOVEL AS A MOVIE, VARIOUS VERSIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN PLATFORMS LIKE DISNEY+,
NETFLIX AND PRIME VIDEO)
 GLOSSARY
• MISTRESS-A WOMAN IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY OR CONTROL.
• FRAIL-WEAK AND DELICATE.
• TIDINGS-NEWS; INFORMATION
• SIESTA-A SHORT NAP TAKEN IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON, OFTEN AFTER THE MIDDAY MEAL.
SUCH A PERIOD OF SLEEP IS A COMMON TRADITION IN SOME COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY
THOSE WHERE THE WEATHER IS WARM.
• COLT-BREAKER-A PERSON WHO BREAKS IN A HORSE.
• ADIEU- GOODBYE
• STABLE- BUILDING SET APART AND ADAPTED FOR KEEPING HORSES
• BRIDLE-THE HEADGEAR USED TO CONTROL A HORSE, CONSISTING OF BUCKLED STRAPS
TO WHICH A BIT AND REINS ARE ATTACHED.
• HARNESSED-CONTROL AND MAKE USE OF (NATURAL RESOURCES), ESPECIALLY TO
PRODUCE ENERGY.
• CARRIAGE-ANY OF THE SEPARATE SECTIONS OF A TRAIN THAT CARRY PASSENGERS.
.

GLOSSARY

• ANTHROPOMORPHISM- THE ATTRIBUTION OF HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS OR

BEHAVIOUR TO A GOD, ANIMAL, OR OBJECT.
• WEEPING- SHEDDING TEARS.
• BIDDING- AN OFFER (OFTEN COMPETITIVE) TO SET A PRICE TAG BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR
BUSINESS FOR A PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR A DEMAND THAT SOMETHING BE DONE.
• BEARING REIN-A FIXED REIN WHICH CAUSES THE HORSE TO RAISE ITS HEAD AND ARCH
ITS NECK.
• COACHMAN
• LORDSHIP-SUPREME POWER OR RULE
• PATTING- TOUCH QUICKLY AND GENTLY WITH THE FLAT OF THE HAND.
• IDIOM
• TO BOARD-ET ON OR INTO (A SHIP, AIRCRAFT, OR OTHER VEHICLE).
QUESTION TIME
• WHO ANNOUNCED THAT THE MASTER IS GOING TO MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY TO THE HORSE TROUP?
ANS: GINGER.
• MERRYLEGS WAS SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPANY THE MASTER TO THE NEW COUNTRY – TRUE OR FALSE?
ANS: FALSE . MERRYLEGS WAS SENT TO VICAR WITH JOE GREEN.
• WHEN HORSES GET OLD OR ARE SEVERELY WOUNDED, THEY ARE SENT TO DUNGEON. – FIND
THE ERROR.
ANS: WHEN HORSES GET OLD OR ARE SEVERELY WOUNDED, THEY ARE SHOT DEAD BY
MASTERS.
• WHICH PAIR OF HORSES TOOK THE MASTER AND THE MISTRESS TO THE STATION?
ANS: GINGER AND BLACK BEAUTY.
• "SIR, YOU WON'T GET A BETTER PAIR OF HORSES THAN THIS ONE. THEY DON'T EVEN
REQUIRE A _______________. THEY ARE AS SWIFT AND FAST AS WIND,“ – FILL IN THE
BLANKS.
ANS: "SIR, YOU WON'T GET A BETTER PAIR OF HORSES THAN THIS ONE. THEY DON'T EVEN REQUIRE A
BEARING REIN OR A WHIP. THEY ARE AS SWIFT AND FAST AS WIND."
• WHO IS THE COACHMAN OF EARLSHALL PARK?
A)SIR OLIVER B) FARMER GREY
C) MR.YORK D) JOHN MANLY
ANS: C) MR.YORK
• BY:-
NANDITA ESSWARI.A.R
20BPY040
NIKITA.T 20BPY041
NIMISHA.N.R 20BPY042

(GROUP 9)