Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-30
GALOpOFF, THE TALKING PONY
ny Tudor Jenka. Copyright. Henry Aitemus 1901.
CHAPTER VII

RESCUE OF THE RUSSIAN PRINCE.
Perhaps the most comfortable talk the
little girls ever had with the pony was the
one following the day OF the picnic. Lola
and Pauline had gone to spend the after
noon in rustic summer-house at the low
er end of their own grounds-a place much
enjoyed by the little girls and the cater
pillars. Here the girls brought their books
and their work to have a long, quiet after
noon together.
For Il time they worked in silence. one at
a piece OF patchwork and the other at a
piece Of embroidery. Then they began to
talk, and gradually came to the subject of
Galopof'S adventures.
The worst of 1t is. said Pauline. that
he all the time gets off the subject. What
1 want to know about is how he came to
live here with you. He is always giving
hints about it, but he never comes right
stery."
Well how can II" said Galopof. putting
his head in through the window. There Is
always somebody around, catching fish, or
something to interrupt"
But Pat has gone to town." Lola an
swered; 1T IL his day out. Nobody Is likely
to come here. We have our work, and we
will listen patiently il you'd like to go on"
1T Is hard to tell a short story" said
Galopoff. so many things keep getting In
the way, and they are all so interesting.
Now, you remember. / had just sent my
cousin Cantero to take my place in the cir
cus-of course he couldn't do as well, but
couldn't help that-and the next thing was
to carry the money to my little master.
That was something OF puzzle. at first.
You see. l could not very well travel over
miles Of road with bag Of heavy gold coins
IN my mouth. even If there had been no dan
ger of losing them, or Of having them taken
away from me. So decided that / must
n,,k - a,.k~ IL
could be carried more safely and more east
ly. The next question was how to do this.
After thinking it all out very carefully. l
made plan.
Il don't trust grown-up human beings
very often. because they are surprised or
frightened when they hear an animal talk:
but l always get along well with children.
So l made friends with a little boy on the
farm where my cousin lived, and when we
were good friends 1 began to do little tricks
for him, such as bowling, kneeling, rolling
over, playing dead, and SO on. This made
him think that was quite intelligent"
Here Galopof could not help laughing to
himself. and the children laughed. too.
Then Re went on:
Next I pretended to try to speak. and
easily led him to teach me to talk. 1t was
wonderful to see how quickly that boy
taught me to say easy Russian words, such
as owes or oats: DOM house. and how
rapidly l learned to say even simple SEN
fences.
MeanWnlle i mace inquiries from the
other animals about the place. and found
the boy was an honest little fellows and
could We trusted. At last when we could
talk a little freely. sent him to change my
gold pieces. at different times and places in
town, into paper money; and then i made
him fol1 all the bills up into small, tight
roll, which he tied very securely in among
the thickest locks of my white name"
He was nice boy!" said Pauline, warm
ly.
Indeed, he was" Galopoff agreed; but
1 gave him one piece OF gold for himself"
THAT was nice Of you" exclaimed Lola.
Indeed. it was" Gaiopoff agreed again.
"but I'm naturally generous. Now that l
was ready for the journey. I bade Boris,
the boy, goodbye, and off I set for Siberia.
travelling at night hiding by day. swimming
the rivers that came in my way, sometimes
chased by wolves or by men. losing the
road again and again, up hill and down
hill, by dale and by wood, getting to eat
whatever I could"
why, Galopoff," exclaimed Pauline, do
you know you're talking poetry"
Galopoff shut his eyes very modestly and
nodded to show that he heard but didn't
like to be interrupted, and went straight on:
Sometimes through deserts, or deep
drifts of snow. past dreary villages all In
row, in long, swinging galiop. or good
steady trot taking my rest in some desolate
spot, but always asking the horses l met
whether "a come to Siberia yet So l
gazed with delight on my young masters
facet
Both the girls were so delighted that they
clapped their hands loudly. Galopoff gave
a great jump when they did this, and SHE'D
as If scared.
Don't do that again. please!" he exclaim-
ed I'm not frightened exactly-but 1t
came SO quick. One of the horse-iaws L
didn't tell you Is this:
FIRST SHY, THIN ASK WHY
Now. why did you clap your hands?"
I'VE were so glad you found your mas
ter" said Lola. And it came 50 quick.
1T has to come quick in poetry" said
Galopoff But 1 didn't know people clap
ped their hands except in the circus: SO it
startled me a little. Well. came at last
to the mines where my little master was at
work, snd I can tell you l felt sorry for
him. He had never heard me speak but l
had no time to prepare him. / Just waited
until he was a little way from the rest of
the men at work. and then came galloping
up to HIM.
your own pony, Galopoff Jump on-quick.
quick?
well, he was scared out of his seven
senses but just then he heard one Of the
guards shout, and UP he jumped on my
back, and pouf.--away we flew. Ping. ping.
ping came the bullets from the guards
rife but ran ZigZag, and we were hit only
once. See have the scar on my shoulder"
Galopof showed q white strip. where the
hair didn't grow. by touching it with his
nose.
''Then how we did go! 1t was neck or
nothing and soon the guard, having emp
tied his rifle. ran to his horse and put after
US. Oh / tell you, children. that was good
race! But had been travelling for weeks.
and the poor fat horse of the guard had no
chance at all. His hoof-beats began to
sound fainter and fainter, and shouted out
to him ir horse talk: It's no use. old slow
coach! You'd better stumble. If you want to
save yourself troubled
He must have been clever and good
natured horse. for he took my hint at once.
and I heard him go slithering down all in a
heap So the chase was over. and got
good start. II my master had tried to guide
me, we should have been lest-that is,
caught-for he would have gone by the
regular roads But told him what to do,
and he let me have my own way.
when we came near big town. made
him get down and hide. while went to And
him some clothes. / soon saw tailor shop
where there were some clothes on the coun-
ter and, rushing in, seized them in my
teeth. and then, calling out, Don't move
for your lives!' I was off again before they
understood what had happened. The tailor
probably thought I was black demon.
Anyway, I never saw or heard OF him
again.
Back went to my little master. who
was hiding in a clump of trees, and. while
he put on the clothes (which were very
hod tal a nd