My First Pony. 33 



to try his jumping powers. When he had 

 learnt I don't know, but he could jump like a 

 cat, and no fence that a pony could possibly 

 get over was too big for him ; he had a mighty 

 heart for a little one, and could breathe like the 

 trade winds. He was not a scrambling sort of 

 pony, but could gallop in good style, like a 

 little race-horse. 



The hunting season was just commencing, 

 and having succeeded in getting a promise of a 

 day from my father, it occurred to me that his 

 long coat would be terribly in the way ; besides, 

 everybody had their horses clipped, and why 

 shouldn't I, as I wanted to turn out in proper 

 form ? So having enlisted the services of a 

 younger brother, we determined to clip him 

 ourselves ; and having collected all the combs, 

 scissors, and candles we could lay our hands 

 on, we waited quietly in our room until the 

 house was quiet. At night we got out, and 

 smuggled him into the kitchen (he had got so 

 used to us and so quiet that he would follow 

 us after a bit of bread anywhere about the 

 house, round the dining-room table, or, I be- 

 lieve, he would have gone up-stairs), and to 

 w^ork we went ; but we little thought what a 



