One day we were waiting outside one of the London parks when a dirty old cab drove up beside ours．The horse was brown，with bones that showed through her coat．I was eating some hay and the wind took a little of it her way．The poor animal put out her long thin neck and picked it up，then turned and looked for more．There was a hopeless look in her dull eye and I wondered where I'd seen her before．Then she looked straight at me．

　　'Black Beauty，is that you？'she said．

　　It was Ginger！But how different she looked！Her face，which was once so full of life，was now miserable and full of pain，and her breathing was very bad．

　　I moved closer to her so that we could have a quiet talk，and it was a sad story that she told me．After twelve months'rest at Earlshall she was considered to be ready to work again，and was sold to a gentleman．She got on well for a little while，but after a long gallop one day，she became ill again．She was rested，was seen by a horse-doctor，then sold．In this way，she went from owner to owner several times，each one poorer than the one before．

　　'So at last I was bought by a man who keeps a number of cabs and horses，and hires them out，'said Ginger．'You look happy and comfortable with life as a cab horse，and I'm glad，but it's different for me． They whip me and work me seven days a week．They say that they paid more for me than I was worth，and now they're trying to get their money back by working me until I drop．'

　　'You used to stand up and fight when people were cruel to you， 'I said．

　　'Yes，I did once，'said Ginger．' But men are stronger than we are，and if they're cruel and have no feelings， then there's nothing we can do about it．Oh，I wish the end would come．I wish I was dead． '

　　I was very sad．I put my nose against hers but could find nothing to say that would cheer her up．I think she was pleased to see me，because she said，'You're the only friend I ever had．'

　　A few weeks after this，a cart with a dead horse in it passed by our cab stand．It was a brown horse with a long thin neck，and I believe it was Ginger．I hoped it was，because then her troubles would be over．

* * *

　　There was one day when we were very busy．First a fat gentle-man with a large bag wanted to go to Bishopsgate Station；then we were called by a lady who wanted to be taken to Regent's Park；then a man jumped into the cab and called out，'Bow Street Police Station， quick！'

　　After another journey or two，we came back to the cab stand and Jerry gave me some food，saying，'We must eat when we can on days like this，Jack．'And he took out the meat and bread Polly had given him．

　　But neither of us had eaten many mouthfuls before a poor young woman came along the street．She was carrying a child and she looked lost and worried．

　　'Can you tell me the way to St Thomas's Hospital，please？'she asked．'I have to take my little boy there，and I'm a stranger in London．'The little boy was crying as she spoke．'He's in great pain and can't walk，but the doctor says that if I can get him to the hospital，then perhaps he'll get well again．

　　'You can't carry him through the crowds，' said Jerry．' It's five kilometres，and that child is heavy．'

　　I'm strong，'said the woman．'I think I can manage，if I know the way．' 'You can't do it．Just get into this cab and I'll drive you there．Don't you see that it's beginning to rain？'

　　'No，sir，I can't do that，'she said．'I've only just enough money to get me home again．'

　　'Listen，'said Jerry．' I've got a wife and children at home，and I'd be ashamed of myself if I let a woman and a sick child put themselves in danger．Get in the cab and I'll take you for nothing．'

　　'Oh，how kind you are！'said the woman， and began to cry．

　　Jerry opened the door but two men ran up，calling out，'Cab！'

　　'It's taken，'said Jerry，but one man pushed past the wom-an and jumped in，followed by the other．'This cab is already taken，gentlemen，'Jerry said again，'by this lady．'

　　'Lady！'said one of the men unpleasantly，looking at the woman's poor clothes．'She can wait．Our business is very im－portant，and anyway，we were in first，and we'll stay in．'

　　A smile came over Jerry's face as he shut the cab door．'Stay in as long as you like， gentlemen．I can wait while you rest yourselves．'He walked over to the young woman who was standing nearby．'They'll soon be gone，don't worry，'he said， laughing．

　　And he was right．When the two men realized that they were going to have ............