"He must have been a good horse at the start, though he has come to
grief in his old age," he thought.
"I wish you would come with me and help me with something," pleaded the
horse.
The boy thought it would be embarrassing to accompany a creature who
looked so wretched, and excused himself on account of the bad weather.
"You'll be no worse off on my back than you are lying here," said the
horse. "But perhaps you don't dare to go with an old tramp of a horse
like me."
"Certainly I dare!" said the boy.
"Then wake the geese, so that we can arrange with them where they shall
come for you to-morrow," said the horse.
The boy was soon seated on the animal's back. The old nag trotted along
better than he had thought possible. It was a long ride in the rain and
darkness before they halted near a large inn, where everything looked
terribly uninviting! The wheel tracks were so deep in the road that the
boy feared he might drown should he fall down into them. Alongside the
fence, which enclosed the yard, some thirty or forty horses and cattle
were tied, with no protection against the rain, and in the yard were
wagons piled with packing cases, where sheep, calves, hogs, and chickens
were shut in.
The horse walked over to the fence and stationed himself. The boy
remained seated upon his back, and, with his good night eyes, plainly
saw how badly the animals fared.
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