Black Beauty

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The story of my life

is the story of the people in it.

I haven't always been as lucky

as I am now...

...in this delicious place of water...

...and grass and sunlight.

Mine is a story of trust and betrayal...

...and learning to trust again.

I remember everything.

I'm here, Duchess.

I'll help you.

Come on, old lass.

Come on, push.

Push!

It was cold and too bright

and strange out in the air.

But then my mother kissed me.

I wanted to be nearer to her.

Over here, little one. It's all right.

In the beginning, I stayed as close

to my mother as I possibly could.

As the weeks went by,

I still stayed right beside her...

...but I began to have my own ideas

of what we should do.

So much of the time,

she would just stand there.

Hurry up!

Let's go!

Come on, come on.

I don't like this.

I do not like this!

Don't fight me now.

Everything's changing.

Even I'm changing.

Come on.

A black coat's taking over my baby fur.

It's all happening too fast.

When I turned 3...

...my master sent me to spend the year

with a gang of other colts.

Now it was time.

Training.

The bit was the first thing.

Terrible bars of cold, hard steel

between your teeth and over your tongue.

If you've never had one in your mouth,

you can't imagine what a shock it is.

But thank heaven for oats!

When you're eating them,

you can forget the bit's nasty coldness...

...the bitter, metallic taste.

Delicious oats.

Sweet oats.

Lovely, crunchy oats.

Beautiful oats.

Splendid oats... ow!

Here. It's just a saddle.

It's choking me!

You can still move. Promise.

Nobody could walk with this.

Come back here with those oats.

At first, the iron shoes made

my feet feel stiff and heavy.

I said, "No!" But he said, "Go!"

Come on.

Once I discovered that he and I...

...that the two of us could become one...

...this business turned out to be

perfectly glorious!

It was now time for me

to go to a new home.

My mother was proud of me...

...and encouraged me.

She knew my master would only

let me go to good people.

But I would miss her.

Before long, a man came

to take me to Birtwick Park...

...to live with Squire Gordon's family.

Just a moment! Molly!

- Come here with that pony.

- Run, Merry. Faster!

Please stay inside.

You're still much too weak.

I won't break. I want to see him.

It's a horse. Nothing more, nothing less,

I promise.

A beautiful horse!

Beauty is as beauty does.

How was he, John?

Perfect, sir.

They were shooting rabbits near Highwood

and the guns went off.

He pulled at such, and looked,

but he didn't step off the path.

- Did you, young fella?

- What shall we call him?

We'll decide over tea.

You must get out of this air.

He's as black as ebony.

Ebony.

Ebony.

Sounds like "bones. "

Settle him in the stables.

Pleasure, sir.

We'll call him Blackbird,

after your uncle's old horse.

But Blackbird was ugly

and mean-tempered.

- Wait. You've already named him.

- Pardon?

- "Beauty is as beauty does. "

- That's not a name.

Yes, it is. Beauty.

Black Beauty.

A new name...

...a new home...

...and a stable full of new horses to meet.

She'll be all right.

She was ill-tempered.

She was mean-spirited.

She was vicious.

She was the most beautiful creature

I'd ever seen.

I hate Alfred.

Me too.

Let me down!

Charge!

Lazy pony!

Move!

Stop it!

Move along!

Merrylegs!

- Quick, Merrylegs!

- Run!

Keep running, Merrylegs!

Mine too.

Open mine too!

Merrylegs.

What a perfect name for the little fellow.

Leave him alone!

Whoa there, Joe!

Better let young Joe catch him,

Master Alfred.

He needs the practice.

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