# Black Beauty — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

- [I: My Early Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-i-my-early-home.md): Black Beauty recalls his early life in a pleasant meadow, living with his mother Duchess and other colts. His mother teaches him good manners and warns him against bad behavior. Their master is kind, and a plowboy named 
- [The Hunt](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-ii-the-hunt.md): Black Beauty recalls a hunt he witnessed as a young colt. The hounds chase and kill a hare, but the hunt ends in tragedy when two horses fall, one fatally breaking his leg and being shot, and the rider, young George Gord
- [My Breaking In](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-iii-my-breaking-in.md): Black Beauty describes his physical development and the process of being broken in by his master, who ensures he is not frightened or hurt. He learns to wear a bit, bridle, saddle, and harness, and is gradually accustome
- [Birtwick Park](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-iv-birtwick-park.md): Black Beauty is taken from his first home to Squire Gordon's estate at Birtwick Park, where he is placed in a comfortable loose box. He meets Merrylegs, a friendly gray pony, and Ginger, a chestnut mare with a biting hab
- [A Fair Start](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-v-a-fair-start.md): Black Beauty is introduced to his new home at Birtwick Park, where he meets John Manly, James Howard, and the other horses. He is given the name 'Black Beauty' by Squire Gordon and his wife, and he learns that Rob Roy, w
- [Liberty](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-vi-liberty.md): Black Beauty reflects on his life at Birtwick Park, expressing contentment with his care but longing for the freedom he once knew. He describes the constraints of stable life and the patience of John Manly, who understan
- [Ginger](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-vii-ginger.md): Ginger shares her painful past with Black Beauty, describing a harsh upbringing without kindness, brutal breaking-in methods, and a violent struggle with a cruel trainer named Samson. She contrasts this with the eventual
- [Ginger's Story Continued](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-viii-ginger-s-story-continued.md): Ginger continues her story, describing her harsh treatment after being sold to a fashionable gentleman in London, where she was subjected to a tight checkrein and cruel handling. She recounts her rebellion, subsequent sa
- [Merrylegs](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-ix-merrylegs.md): Merrylegs recounts to Black Beauty how he gently taught the Blomefield boys a lesson by letting them slip off his back when they whipped him too hard, emphasizing his trustworthiness and the importance of good treatment.
- [A Talk in the Orchard](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-x-a-talk-in-the-orchard.md): In the orchard, Black Beauty, Ginger, Sir Oliver, Merrylegs, and Justice discuss the cruel practice of tail docking and the use of blinkers, with Sir Oliver condemning fashion as a wicked force that causes unnecessary su
- [Plain Speaking](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xi-plain-speaking.md): Black Beauty reflects on the kindness of the Squire and his wife at Birtwick Park, who are respected for their compassion toward all creatures. The Squire confronts a builder, Mr. Sawyer, for brutally whipping a pony, an
- [A Stormy Day](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xii-a-stormy-day.md): During a late autumn journey, Black Beauty, John Manly, and his master face a severe storm. After a falling oak blocks their path, they take a detour. At the wooden bridge, Black Beauty refuses to cross, sensing danger. 
- [The Devil's Trade Mark](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xiii-the-devil-s-trade-mark.md): John Manly and Black Beauty witness a boy, Bill Bushby, cruelly whipping and kicking a pony for refusing to leap a gate that is too high. John refuses to help the boy out of a thorn hedge and reports the incident to the 
- [James Howard](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xiv-james-howard.md): Squire Gordon, seeking a trustworthy groom for his brother-in-law Sir Clifford Williams, tests John Manly's opinion of James Howard. John gives a glowing character reference, and James is offered a position at Clifford H
- [The Old Hostler](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xv-the-old-hostler.md): Black Beauty and Ginger are driven by James Howard to a hotel where they meet an experienced old hostler with a crooked leg. The hostler demonstrates remarkable skill and speed in grooming, and shares his philosophy on h
- [The Fire](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xvi-the-fire.md): A fire breaks out in the stable where Black Beauty and Ginger are staying. The horses panic, but James Howard bravely leads them to safety, first rescuing Black Beauty and then returning for Ginger. The fire is eventuall
- [John Manly’s Talk](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xvii-john-manly-s-talk.md): After a safe journey home, John Manly discusses the hiring of young Joe Green to replace James Howard. John shares his personal story of being orphaned with his crippled sister Nelly and how kindness from his master, mis
- [Going for the Doctor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xviii-going-for-the-doctor.md): Black Beauty is roused in the night for an urgent ride to fetch Dr. White for Mrs. Gordon, who is gravely ill. John Manly rides Beauty at a gallop for eight miles, and the doctor uses Beauty for the return journey. After
- [XIX: Only Ignorance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xix-only-ignorance.md): Black Beauty is gravely ill and being treated by Mr. Bond. John Manly and Thomas Green discuss Joe Green's role in Beauty's illness, with John initially struggling to forgive Joe but eventually agreeing to speak kindly t
- [Joe Green](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xx-joe-green.md): Joe Green, a young stable boy, witnesses a carter brutally flogging two horses stuck in the mud. He intervenes, reports the man to the brick-maker Mr. Clay, and later gives evidence before the magistrate (Squire Gordon).
- [The Parting](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-i-xxi-the-parting.md): Black Beauty reflects on the end of his happy three years at Birtwick Park as the mistress's illness forces the household to break up. The master sells Ginger and Beauty to the Earl of W⸺, gives Merrylegs to the vicar, a
- [Earlshall](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxii-earlshall.md): Black Beauty and Ginger are sold to the Earl of W⸺ and taken to Earlshall Park. John Manly gives Mr. York a detailed account of their temperaments, warning that Ginger is sensitive and may react to harsh treatment. Despi
- [A Strike for Liberty](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxiii-a-strike-for-liberty.md): Ginger rebels against the painful checkrein by rearing and kicking, causing a violent accident that injures herself and Black Beauty. York blames Lady W⸺'s insistence on the tight rein, and Ginger is subsequently sold to
- [XXIV: The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxiv-the-lady-anne-or-a-runaway-horse.md): Lady Anne, a skilled horsewoman, insists on riding the nervous mare Lizzie despite warnings from her cousin Blantyre. During a brief stop, a colt startles Lizzie, causing her to bolt with Lady Anne. Black Beauty (as 'Bla
- [XXV: Reuben Smith](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxv-reuben-smith.md): Reuben Smith, a skilled but alcoholic groom, is left in charge of the stables. Despite his competence, his drinking leads to his dismissal and later reinstatement. While driving Black Beauty back from a trip, Smith becom
- [XXVI: How It Ended](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxvi-how-it-ended.md): After Reuben Smith's drunken ride leads to his fatal fall from Black Beauty, the horse is found with severe injuries. An inquest clears Black Beauty of blame, and Reuben's widow Susan is left destitute, forced to enter t
- [Ruined and Going Downhill](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxvii-ruined-and-going-downhill.md): Black Beauty, after recovering from his knee injuries, is turned out to a meadow where he is reunited with Ginger. Ginger recounts how she was ruined by Lord George's reckless riding in a steeplechase. The Earl, seeing t
- [XXVIII: A Job Horse and His Drivers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxviii-a-job-horse-and-his-drivers.md): Black Beauty describes his experiences as a job horse, being hired out to various ignorant drivers. He contrasts tight-rein drivers who constantly pull on the mouth with loose-rein drivers who pay no attention. He recoun
- [Cockneys](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxix-cockneys.md): Black Beauty describes the harsh 'steam-engine style' of driving practiced by ignorant town drivers, who treat horses like machines and show no consideration for their welfare. He recounts a serious accident where his co
- [A Thief](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxx-a-thief.md): Black Beauty's new master, Mr. Barry, is an unmarried businessman in Bath who knows little about horses. He hires a groom named Filcher, who initially seems competent but soon begins stealing Beauty's oats to feed his ra
- [A Humbug](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-ii-xxxi-a-humbug.md): Black Beauty describes his new groom, Alfred Smirk, a lazy and conceited man who neglects proper stable care, leading to unhealthy conditions and thrush in Beauty's feet. Despite Mr. Barry's attempts to address the issue
- [A Horse Fair](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxii-a-horse-fair.md): Black Beauty describes the chaotic and often cruel horse fair, where he is sold to a kind new owner, Jeremiah Barker, who takes him to London to work as a cab horse.
- [A London Cab Horse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxiii-a-london-cab-horse.md): Black Beauty describes his new life with Jeremiah Barker, a kind cab driver, and his happy family. He is renamed Jack and becomes a cab horse in London, where he learns to trust Jerry's gentle driving and enjoys good car
- [An Old War Horse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxiv-an-old-war-horse.md): Captain recounts his life as a cavalry horse in the Crimean War, describing the training, the harrowing sea voyage, the terror of battle, the death of his beloved master, and the brutal aftermath where wounded horses wer
- [Jerry Barker](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxv-jerry-barker.md): Black Beauty describes his new master Jerry Barker as a kind, good-tempered, and merry man who values hard work, punctuality, and treating horses with respect. Jerry refuses to drive recklessly for extra money, but when 
- [The Sunday Cab](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxvi-the-sunday-cab.md): Jerry Barker refuses Mr. Briggs's offer to take a seven-days' license to drive Mrs. Briggs to church on Sundays, valuing his day of rest for himself, his family, and his horses. Polly supports his decision, and Jerry def
- [The Golden Rule](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxvii-the-golden-rule.md): Jerry Barker is asked to take Dinah Brown, a poor woman with a newborn, to see her dying mother on a Sunday. Despite his initial reluctance due to the horses' fatigue and losing his day of rest, Polly persuades him by in
- [Dolly and a Real Gentleman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxviii-dolly-and-a-real-gentleman.md): Winter brings harsh weather, and the cab horses suffer greatly. Jerry Barker remains a conscientious driver, avoiding taverns and relying on his family's warmth and care. His daughter Dolly bravely brings him hot food. A
- [Seedy Sam](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xxxix-seedy-sam.md): Black Beauty describes the harsh conditions faced by cab-horses owned by large masters and let out to drivers for a daily fee. He recounts a conversation on the cab stand where a driver called Seedy Sam defends his overw
- [XL: Poor Ginger](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xl-poor-ginger.md): Black Beauty encounters a worn-out cab horse and recognizes her as Ginger, who recounts her tragic decline from a life of abuse and overwork. Ginger expresses her wish for death to end her suffering, and later Black Beau
- [The Butcher](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xli-the-butcher.md): Black Beauty reflects on the harsh treatment of horses in London, particularly butchers' horses driven at great speed, and contrasts it with the kindness shown by some poor owners like a coster-boy and an old coal man.
- [The Election](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xlii-the-election.md): Jerry Barker refuses to hire his cab for electioneering, explaining his principled stance against partisan violence and empty slogans. When his daughter Dolly is muddied and insulted by boys of the opposing faction, Jerr
- [A Friend in Need](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xliii-a-friend-in-need.md): On election day, Jerry Barker and Black Beauty work tirelessly through crowded, dangerous streets. After a brief rest, Jerry selflessly offers a free ride to a poor woman carrying her sick child to St. Thomas' Hospital, 
- [Old Captain and His Successor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xliv-old-captain-and-his-successor.md): Captain is severely injured in an accident caused by a drunken drayman, leading Jerry to euthanize him rather than sell him into misery. Jerry then acquires a new horse, Hotspur, a spirited but gentle young horse who ada
- [Jerry's New Year](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iii-xlv-jerry-s-new-year.md): During the harsh Christmas and New Year season, Jerry Barker works late into the night despite a worsening cough. After a long, cold wait for card players, he returns home gravely ill with bronchitis. While he recovers, 
- [Jakes and the Lady](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iv-xlvi-jakes-and-the-lady.md): Black Beauty is sold to a corn dealer and baker, where he is overloaded and mistreated by the foreman and his carter Jakes, who uses a checkrein and whip. A kind lady intervenes, persuading Jakes to remove the checkrein 
- [Hard Times](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iv-xlvii-hard-times.md): Black Beauty describes his brutal new master, Nicholas Skinner, and the relentless misery of life as a London cab horse with no rest, cruel treatment, and overwork. After collapsing under an excessively heavy load on Lud
- [Farmer Thoroughgood and His Grandson Willie](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iv-xlviii-farmer-thoroughgood-and-his-grandson-willie.md): At a horse fair, Black Beauty is among broken-down horses when Farmer Thoroughgood and his grandson Willie notice him. Willie persuades his grandfather to buy Beauty for five pounds, believing he can be restored with res
- [My Last Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iv-xlix-my-last-home.md): Black Beauty is taken on trial by three sisters, Miss Blomefield, Miss Ellen, and Miss Lavinia, after being recommended by Mr. Thoroughgood. Despite his blemished knees, Miss Ellen takes a liking to him. The groom, Joe G
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/black_beauty_se/chapters/part-iv-endnotes.md): The endnotes provide a brief historical note on the reduction of the annual cab license fee and the abolition of the distinction between six-day and seven-day cabs.

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