124 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



King Philip of Macedon, who was ambitious to 

 become the first man of Greece, was the pur- 

 chaser; and Philonicus, after hearing the gold 

 pieces jingle in his strong-box, led the great 

 Bucephalus up to the Macedonian capital and left 

 him safely housed in the king's stalls. He was 

 careful, no doubt, to get back into his own coun- 

 try before Philip had had time to give the steed 

 any kind of examination. 



You may imagine what followed. When the 

 horse was brought out upon the parade ground 

 for trial the skilfuUest riders in Macedon could 

 not mount him. He reared and plunged, and beat 

 madly around with his sharp hoofs, until every- 

 body was glad to get safely out of his reach. The 

 greatest horse-tamers of the country were called, 

 but they could do nothing. 



" Take him away ! " cried the king, at last, in 

 great rage. " That man Philonicus has sold me 

 an utterly wild and unbroken beast, under pre- 

 tense of his being the finest horse in the world; 

 but he shall rue it." 



But now Bucephalus would not be led away. 

 The horse-tamers tried to throw ropes over his 

 feet; they beat him with long poles; they pelted 

 him with stones. 



