She was given a handful of corn, but she was afraid of the manger and would not eat. The man brought some hay for her rack, but she started away from it. Then theman said: "Diamond, my dear lady, a man and a horse can get used to anything. You"ll get as used to eating food underground as above ground; see if you don"t." He began to pass a hay-wisp over her, and, while he did so, he said : "Now, just you listen to me, my pretty. I"m called William-that"s the name you"ll have to call if you want anything; just you say "William", and I"ll be round in a second; my name"s William, and I"ve been here a matter of seven and thirty years, and I never yet handled a horse that didn"t get to love me. You"ve got to love me. I"m going to change your name to begin with, and call you Black Diamond, because you"ll be dealing in black diamonds for the rest of your days.
"Now it"s a bit stuffy down here, I admit; and the dark tries the eyes, and you can"t help missing the birds, and the trees, and the grass, and the skies, and the rivers, and the sight of children. But we can"t all have the best of things. Some must live in palaces, and others in coal mines. Some must sail ships across the sea, and others must look after poor men in prisons. Some must go fighting, and others must sell woollen stockings. If everybody had everything, there"d soon be nothing for anybody. And, come to think of it, my lass, you"re a deal better off down here with old William than you would bepulling a cab through the streets of London, or standing for an hour at a time in the rain outside Cardiff Station.
"Now isn"t that true? Come, taste these oats out of my hand, and see how good they are. You and I are going to be friends; we have to be friends, Black Diamond. So let"s begin at once, and enjoy ourselves."Black Diamond learned that the love of the miner does make up, in some measure, for the loss of sunlight and heaven"s sweet air. She grew to love her friend William. She pulled the coal trucks through the black mine, and scarcely noticed that she was going gradually, gradually blind. William brought her apples and carrots in his coat-pocket, and the other miners made a pet of her, and she was soon a favourite with the other horses in the stall. "A pit"s a poor place to live in," reflected Black Diamond; "but it"s wonderful what a little love will do."She worked grandly. She ate heartily. She slept soundly. But she was going gradually, gradually blind.
Then her foal was born, and the miners called it Little Diamond, and Black Diamond grew very happy, telling this black baby all about the wonderful world above the coal-mine. She had just sufficient sight to see her baby, and she would lick it for hours, with her poorfading eyes full of great tears.
"I like hearing your stories," said Little Diamond; "but, of course, I don"t believe they"re true. They are only fairy stories, aren"t they?"It is so difficult, when one is born in the dark, and lives in the dark, to believe that just a little way above there is a world bathed in sunshine and light.
And, years afterwards, even Black Diamond herself came to think that the green earth, where she had spent so many delightful days, must be only a dream.
From The Children"s Encyclopedia.
About the Author.-The editor of The Children"s Encyclopedia is Arthur Mee, an Englishman. The author of this particular story is not known.
About the Lesson.-What name do we give to a white splash on a horse"s brow? When a horse breaks its knees, what is done to it? Are there pit-ponies in Australia? What made things seem better to Black Diamond? Why did she go blind?
Lesson 50
RIDDLE-mE-REE
IN THE SCuTTLE.
Black are we, but much admired; Men dig for us till they are tired; We tire the horse, but comfort man. Read me this riddle if you can.
About the Author.-Not known.
About the Lesson.-Where is coal found? What kinds of coal are there in Australia? What were they once?
Lesson 51
mODEREEN RuE
(The Little Red Rogue-The Fox.)
Och, Modereen Rue, you little red rover!
By the glint of the moon you stole out of your cover, And now there is never an egg to be got,Nor a handsome fat chicken to put in the pot.
Och, Modereen Rue!
With your nose to the earth and your ear on the listen,You slunk through the stubble with frost-drops a-glisten,With my lovely fat drake in your teeth as you went,That your red roguish children should breakfast content. Och, Modereen Rue!
Och, Modereen Rue, hear the horn for a warning They are looking for red roguish foxes this morning; But let them come my way, you little red rogue,"Tis I will betray you to huntsman and dog.
Och, Modereen Rue!
The little red rogue, he"s the colour of bracken.
O"er mountains, o"er valleys, his pace will not slacken.
Tantara! tantara! he is off now, and, faith!
"Tis a race "twixt the little red rogue and his death.
Och, Modereen Rue !
Och, Modereen Rue, I"ve no cause to be grievingFor little red rogues with their tricks and their thieving.
The hounds they give tongue, and the quarry"s in sight,The hens on the roost may sleep easy to-night.
Och, Modereen Rue!
But my blessing be on him! He made the hounds followThrough the woods, through the dales, over hill, over hollow,It was Modereen Rue led them fast, led them far, From the glint of the morning till eve"s silver star.
Och, Modereen Rue!
And he saved his red brush for his own futurewearing;
He slipped into a drain, and he left the hounds swearing.
Good luck, my fine fellow, and long may you showSuch a clean pair of heels to the hounds as they go.
Och, Modereen Rue!
Katharine Tynan HinKson.
About the Author.-Mrs. Kathleen Tynan HinKson, novelist and verse-writer, was born in Ireland.
About the Poem.-The "een" in Modereen means little, and the "Rue" means red. What then would "Moder" mean? Mention girls" names ending in "een." Why does the fox hunt at night? What are frost-drops? How do people hunt the fox? When is bracken red? How did Modereen Rue escape? If the fox was a little red thief, what made the writer glad he got away? Tell any other story you know about a fox.
Lesson 52
THE SEASONS