Ralph and Lily had one game of which they never tired, and that was
"horses." It was really a convenient game, for it could be played on
wet or fine days, in the nursery or on the road. Perhaps it was best
fun on the road, "like real horses;" but I am not sure, for it was
very delightful to sit on the nursery table, with the box of bricks
for a coachman's seat, and from that elevated position to drive the
spirited four horses represented by the four chairs, to which the
reins would be fastened.
One day--a fine day--the two children were playing at their usual game
on the turnpike road, and waiting for nurse, who had gone into a
cottage near by to speak to the washerwoman. Nurse was a long time,
and Ralph, who was horse, was quite out of breath with his long trot
on the hard road. Lily touched him up with the whip, but all to no
avail--he could run no more.
"I've no breath left," said the poor horse, sinking down exhausted on
a heap of stones.
Lily put down the whip and patted his head to encourage him. "Soh!
soh!" she said, in as good an imitation as she could manage of the way
the groom spoke to their father's horse; "you are quite done, I see.
You must rest, and have a handful of oats," and she dived into her
pocket and produced a bit of biscuit, which the horse ate with great
satisfaction, and soon professed himself ready to go on again. "Ah!"
said Lily, sagely, "I knew you'd be all right soon; there's nothing
like food and kindness for horses when they're tired."
A tinker, with a cart and a poor, ill-fed beast harnessed to it,
happened to be passing, and heard the little girl's words. He stared
after her, for she seemed very small to speak so wisely, and the
tinker did not, of course, know that she was only repeating what she
had heard her father say.
"Well, I'm dazed!" exclaimed the tinker, looking after the children;
"wherever did little Missy learn that?"
He said no more then; but Lily's words stuck to him, and his poor
horse had reason to bless Lily for them, for from that day forward he
got, not only more food, but more kindness and fewer blows and so he
became a better horse, and the tinker the better man in consequence.