A horse fair is an interesting place. There were young horses from the country, little Welsh ponies and many beautiful horses too. But there were also a lot of poor, thin horses, tired from hard work. I was very sad to see them.
At the horse fair there was a man with a gentle voice and kind grey eyes. He offered 23 pounds for me, but they refused. Then a man with a very loud voice came. I was afraid he was going to buy me, but he walked off. Then the grey-eyed man came back again and said,
“I'll give 24 for him.”
“Done,” said the salesman. “He's a quality horse and if you want him for cab work, he's a bargain.”
Half an hour later we set off for London, along country roads, until we came to that great city. There were streets to the right, and streets to the left. We went into one of the small streets, and then into a very narrow street, with small, old houses.
My owner stopped at a house. The door opened, and a woman, a little girl and a boy, came out.
"Is he gentle, father?"
“Yes, Dolly, as gentle as a kitten; you can pat him.”
Dolly, the little girl, patted my shoulder without fear. It felt so good! They led me into a comfortable, clean stable, and after a delicious meal I lay down to sleep, thinking “I'm going to be very happy here. ”
My new owner's name was Jerry. His wife was called Polly and they had two children, Harry and Dolly. The next morning they came to see me. I loved it when they patted me and spoke in gentle voices.
"Let's call him 'Jack', after the old horse, shall we, Jerry?” said Dolly.
“Yes, let's," said Jerry.
The first week of my life as Jack, the London cab horse was very hard. The noise and the people and the traffic on the streets scared me. But Jerry was a very good driver, and that helped a lot. Jerry soon found that I was ready to work hard and do my best, and he didn't whip me.
He kept me very clean, and gave me as much food as I wanted. But the best thing was that I had Sundays off.
【小题1】A horse fair is a place for .| A．people to learn to ride horses | B．people to sell and buy horses |
| C．horses to meet new friends | D．horses to learn new skills |
| A．The horse is well worth the price. | B．The horse is as gentle as a kitten. |
| C．The buyer is gentle and kind. | D．The buyer is a good driver. |
| A．Tired and afraid. | B．Sad and helpless. |
| C．Curious but impatient. | D．Challenged but satisfied. |
| A．The start of a London-cab-horse life. | B．The chance of having a new owner. |
| C．The experiences of visiting a horse fair. | D．The disadvantages of working in London. |
