The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



power is so great that he gets shot over on to 

 his poor httle nose. Is he discouraged ? Not 

 a whit. He tries it again, and gets a hke 

 tumble. He learns. Once more he makes a 

 try, and, in a better balance of muscular efforts, 

 he is actually up on four shaking legs, just 

 long enough to look round at his Mother and 

 give a little bleat of victory. Then the whole 

 wobbling structure collapses, and he is on the 

 ground kicking out his disappointment. He 

 reassembles himself, and, in the interval of 

 recoupment, has another sniff at the grass. 

 He knows quite well what it is for, and nibbles 

 at it. 



The spur is at him again. He fights his 

 way up on to the top of those tall legs, remains 

 perched up a httle longer, wobbles about for 

 his balance, succeeds in maintaining it, wobbles 

 again, and tips over. He is perfectly indomit- 

 able. He is no sooner down than he starts 

 a fresh effort. Look at the hnes of resolution 

 in the muscles of his mouth and nose, as he 

 makes his next fight to get up. He remembers 

 what happened to him before, and is very 

 careful when he gets to the top. Puts restraint 

 on his muscles ; wobbles a bit, but recovers ; 

 better sense of balance ; draws his head up, 

 then lowers it a little ; puts one foot a little 

 forward and finds better support ; then the 

 next and another — near risk of a tumble that 

 time — but recovery of balance quite good ; 



200 



