Outline:-
- The first place was a large meadow.
- While young I lived upon my mother’s milk.
- My master a good kind man.
The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and reeds and water lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge, on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master’s house, which stood by the roadside, at the top of the meadow was a plantation of fir trees, and at the bottom, a running brook.
Whilst I was young, I lived upon my mother’s milk, as I could not eat grass. In the day-time I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold we had a nice warm shed near the plantation. As soon as I was old enough to eat grass, my mother used to go out to work in the day time, and come back in the evening.
Our master was a good kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children. We were all very fond of him, and my mother loved him very much.
I must not forget to mention one part of my training, which I have always considered a very great advantage. My master sent me for a neighboring farmer, who had a meadow that was near the railway. Here were some sheep and cows, and I was turned in amongst them.
I shall never forget the first train that ran by. I was feeding quietly near the fence which separated the meadow from the railway, it came with a rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke a long black train of something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath. I turned and galloped to the farther side of the meadow as fast as I could go, and there I stood snorting with by some more slowly; these drew up at the station close by, and sometime made an awful/shriek and groan before they stopped. I thought it very dreadful, but the cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly raised their heads as the black frightful thing came puffing past.
For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as I found that this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me any harm, I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about the passing of a train as the cows and sheep did.