Black Beauty

Finally, we finished reading Black Beauty out loud.  I tried to read 10-15 minutes per day....which really ended up being about 3 days a week.  I don't remember when we started Black Beauty, but it was a couple of months ago, and I was hoping to be done by the end of November, because I wanted to watch the movie with the girls while my grandma was down.  We were able to sneak our movie in the day before she left, while Hannah girl was sick.  And, I officially finished reading the book the next day.

This was a wonderful read aloud book to my children.  Nicole listened intently, asked zillions of questions, I learned a lot about horses...and about people.  I feel like I took a lot away from the book.  Hannah always asked about when "Black Booby" got hurt (she couldn't say his name...and it makes us giggle every time).

Black Beauty was written by Anna Sewell in 1877.  She actually did not intend for it to be a children's book, but rather a book to expose the cruel ways that horses were treated at the time and how with just a little tender care, a horse can work hard for you and remain strong for many years.  But, a lot that she says about horses, really can be applied to people too.

Although I didn't mark the many sentences and paragraphs that I thought were wonderful, I'll skim through the book now and see if I can find any.  Just so you know, Black Beauty was written from the horse's perspective.

Chapter 6:  "Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, are often call skittish, when it is only play, and some grooms will punish them."  Think of  your children...often times we get onto our children for running around to much, making to much noise, or having "ADHD" when often times if they are played with and allowed time to exercise and play, they will have the "fidgets" out of them and be able to focus better.  Beauty knew when his groom meant serious business...and when he meant for play...perhaps our children should too.


Chapter 8: When Ginger, another horse, was describing her upbringing and the use of check reins (one of the major issues Sewall was trying to bring into the light at the time) "I had been driven with a check-rein by the dealer, and I hated it worse than anything else; but in this place we were reined far tighter, the coachman and his master thinking we looked more stylish so....  I like to toss my head about, and hold it as high as any horse.  But fancy now yourself, if you tossed your head up high, and were obliged to hold it there, and that for hours together, not able to move it at all except with a jerk still higher, your neck aching till you did not know how to bear it....I suppose it was fashion that makes them strap our heads up with those horrid bits that I was tortured with in London."  We talked a lot about "fashion" because of these check-reins.  And, the fact that just because something is popular, or seen as pretty...it doesn't mean it is always right.

Chapter 46: Along the same lines as above...the check-reins.  Beauty now worked as a cart horse, perhaps one of the most abused jobs of all.  The horses carried loads much to heavy and strained their backs and legs and necks. They were whipped to work harder as they carried their heavy loads up hill.  In this section, Beauty is doing just that....only he collapses from lack of strength.  A kind lady going by dares to give the driver advice.  "You see....you do not give him a fair chance; he cannot use all his power with his head held back as it is with that check-rein.  If you would take it off, I am sure he would do better...The rein was taken off, and in a moment I put my head down to my very knees.  What a comfort is was!  Then I tossed it up and down several times to get the aching stiffness out of my neck....I put down my head and threw my whole weight against the collar; I spared no strength; the load moved on, and I pulled it steadily up the hill, and then stopped to take breath....'You see he was quite willing when you gave him the chance.  I am sure he is a fine-tempered creature, and I dare say he has known better days."  The driver says, "I can't deny that having his head has helped him up the hill, and I'll remember it another time, and thank you, ma'am; but if he went without a check-rein I should be the laughing-stock of all the carters; it is the fashion, you see."  Finally the lady replies, "Is it not better to lead a good fashion than to follow a bad one?...Besides, we have no right to distress any of God's creature without a very good reason.  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."

Chapter 35: Beauty is now owned by a cab driver named Jerry Barker.  Although cab driving is difficult work, he treated Beauty the best he could...and Beauty worked very hard for him. Jerry was a poor man who worked hard for his family.  Often singing this song in the morning.

"If you in the morning

Throw minutes away,

You can't pick them up

In the course of the day

You may hurry and scurry,

And flurry and worry,

You've lost them forever,

Forever and aye."

Reading Black Beauty out loud gave me many opportunities to talk to both of my girls about topics I may have never brought up.  I plan on reading this story again in a few years when they are a bit older.

We watched the newest version of the movie.  It was very good.  They combined some elements and stories from the book into one character and certainly added a few things here and there...but I think it was still well done.  There were a few "scary" parts that I had to talk the girls through, to remind them of them of what happened in the book.  I wouldn't just turn the movie on an walk away, but it was certainly a great movie to watch as a family and talk about any issues that may come up with your children.