X NOTE TO THE READER 



by the romancing poets of the Middle Ages. Then in 

 "The Ship of the Plains," you may read of the mythi- 

 cal founding of Athens ; and in the sketch that follows, 

 you may enjoy a brief glimpse of Arabic imagery in 

 the story of one of the most interesting episodes in the 

 life of the prophet Mohammed. The story of the twin 

 brethren will acquaint you with the thought of some of 

 the old Latin writers, while the tale of Rakush will 

 give you a taste of Persian literature as it is found in 

 the great epic written by Firdusi. The romances of 

 Charlemagne and his peers are represented by the story 

 of Broiefort and his indomitable master ; and the world- 

 famous Don Quixote is introduced by his sorry but 

 scarcely less famous steed, Rozinante. The epic of the 

 Iliad is briefly condensed in the biography of Swift 

 and Old-Gold ; and the tragic fall of Troy is narrated 

 in the story of the Great Wooden Horse. Then with 

 the Horse of Brass you may 



Call up him that left half told 

 The story of Cambuscan bold ; 



and finally with Firouz Schah you may take a bold 

 flight into the enchanting regions of romance depicted 

 in the "Arabian Nights' Entertainment." 



And so, while you are reading this WoNDER-BoOK OF 

 Horses and finding entertainment in the biographies 



