The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



approaches, until it is quite a hard scratch, 

 before it passes you. It's a Httle thing to do, 

 but it distracts a certain percentage of his 

 attention from the oncoming fearsomeness, 

 for he is attending to you as well as to the car, 

 and it may be that the increased scratching 

 prevents his fears from reaching just that panic 

 point at which everjiihing would have to be 

 abandoned, and flight — his primeval defence — 

 would dominate all of his brain and energy. 



If he comes through this test all right, you 

 have made an enormous advance with the 

 horse. It is you who have got him through 

 this trouble, and have protected him from the 

 monster — he is quite sure of that — and if 

 another comes along he knows you are there 

 to help him again. When the car has gone, 

 make a great fuss over him and show him what 

 a brave nag you think he is. He will be so 

 pleased with you and himself, that he will 

 want another car to come along right there. 

 It's not the car, but the jollying, that has left 

 the indelible impression. 



Other road adventures will be less fearsome, 

 but treat them all in the same way. If there 

 is anything unusual at the roadside, take him 

 up and let him stand and look at it. He will 

 take an extraordinary interest in anything 

 new and strange. It may be that a Gracious 

 Providence has sent your road-hog and his 

 friends into a pub, and has ordained that their 



95 



