The Horse, as Comrade and Friend ' 



Bracing herself, she rolls up on to her knees, 

 and, trembling with weakness, eagerly smells 

 him from head to foot. Yes, it's really and 

 truly her own. 



But as she begins to lick his face ever so 

 gently, one of the big after-pains overtakes 

 her, and she is forced to throw herself down. 

 After the struggle she is exhausted, but happy, 

 for she knows you are looking after her foal. 

 You talk to her, and it helps to keep her quiet ; 

 but the foal is getting obstreperous now. He 

 wants to get up and means to, so you pull him 

 over to lie flat on his side, and, as he stiU 

 shivers, rub him to warm him. He likes the 

 rubbing for a Uttle while ; but the over- 

 mastering desire to get up again seizes him, 

 and he rolls up to have another try. He gets 

 as far as putting some weight on his forelegs, 

 then flops over ignominiously alongside the 

 mare, where for a time he is pacified, while 

 she, now somewhat recovered, performs her 

 first maternal duty of licking him all over. 

 It is pretty to see the pleasure it gives her. 

 Then energy again awakes within him, and 

 the legs are astir. His sole ambition is to get 

 up. He rises on his knees and succeeds, 

 groggily enough, in keeping himself up thus 

 far for a few seconds ; then falls over on his 

 side and is quiet. But only for a little while. 

 There is something more than mere voUtion 

 in these restless efforts to get up. There is 



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