Overview / 简介: |
The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse's head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them into my hand.
"Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I'll give you a golden guinea."
A dark stranger leaves his magnificent horse in the care of a boy he's never met. As dusk falls, others offer to pay the boy handsomely for the animal. Then soldiers arrive, demanding to know where the horse's owner has gone.
Could the stranger be the notorious Dick Turpin, known for his daring holdups and amazing exploits? Is the horse the legendary Black Bess? And will the boy ever see the reward he's been promised?
There's mischief in the air, but it isn't entirely clear who's causing it.
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From Organization / 国外机构评价: |
| “This short chapter book with plentiful pen-and-ink drawings supplied by Dress, large font and lines spaced apart for easy reading is just the thing for those leaving early readers behind and wanting fast-paced action, dry humor and an ending that leaves room for discussion.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“A narrative rich in language, told with panache and begging to be shared aloud, along with Duddle and Dress’s comical, detailed sketches of its Dickensian denizens and the romantically elegant Black Bess.” (The Horn Book )
“It’s a suspenseful and tautly written story as is, and Thompson’s sly twist makes it all the richer.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ) |
Foreign Customer Review / 国外客户评价: |
| "Round the corner he came, a tall rider on a big black horse, and the pigs and chickens cleared the road in double-quick time to get out of his way. I stepped back myself, sir, even though I was already out of the road, and I squeezed myself tight against the wall. Still he came on, at full tilt, his black cloak streaming in the air behind him and now I could see his face, his cheeks red from the cold and his mustaches as black as the black horse under him.
"He didn't look at me at all as he came on, but I saw his eye fix on something beside me. The alleyway, I think it was. And just as he drew level, he straightened in the saddle and reined in the mare so fast she sat right down on her tail in a shower of mud. Some of it hit me in the face, sir. That's how close I was.
"The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse's head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them in my hand. I gaped up at him and my mouth must have been as big as a badger hole. You can imagine, I'm sure, how astonished I was. He was very tall, that man, and his cheeks were red and he was breathing hard and there were tear tracks across his face. He looked wild and mad, sir, and I have to admit that the sight of him terrified me.
"But of course the way he looked was not because he was angry or excited but because he had been traveling so fast through the icy weather. And indeed, when he opened his mouth, it was not to yell at me, which is what I expected, but to say quite gently:
"'Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I'll give you a golden guinea.'
"And he ruffled my hair for me, sir. Look. Like this. Made it stand up like a bunch of straw. I would have done anything for him after that."
So begins the engaging tale of a grand horse as told by a young barefooted beggar child to an anonymous gentleman he has accosted on a back street. It is an exceptionally fun story wrought with danger, intrigue, and double crosses. The sense of time and place evoke Dickens and the manner in which the lad conveys the story reminds one of Poe's rules for short stories (The story must be read in one sitting and there must be one effect to which all of the action in the story contributes.). This exquisitely crafted first person narrative, in which the horse-holding lad encounters a series of characters, makes for a heck of a read aloud. (I've already done one performance and it easily fits into a block period.)
"'You're tempted, aren't you?' He stepped closer to me as he said it, and glanced quickly up and down the street."
Watch out! You just never know who might come charging down that road next (OR suddenly reappear)!
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