Black Beauty Quiz for Experts | Kid Lit Authors

Answer: A large meadow

The first line in many of the book's versions is: "The first place I well remember is a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it." The Warner Bros movie from 1994 showed Beauty's first memory as his birth in a stall.

Answer: Rob Roy

Beauty and his mother witness Rob Roy's tragic death in their field. Rob Roy fell during a hunt, and broke his leg. He was euthanized. His rider, the Squire's son, broke his neck, and died days later. Beauty's mother swore that she would never graze in that part of the field again. It was a tragedy that, according to Beauty, "twas all for one little hare."

Answer: Living in a field near the railroad, where he got used to the sound of trains

He says later in the book, while he and Ginger are at the train station to drop off the Gordon family, that he was grateful for this training. It can be assumed, since his first owner was so gentle, that he got lots of treats and pats during his training.

Answer: A cabby who could barely earn enough to feed his family and horse

Jerry Barker noticed Seedy Sam come into the station day after day with a malnourished horse. He scolded the man for abusing the animal. The man protested, and explained how strained for money he was, and how hard it was to feed his wife and six children, let alone the horse.

Answer: Black Auster

Lady Anne, a relative of the W- family, named him that. She took him out for rides with her boyfriend, Blantyre. One day, the two riders switched horses, because Lady Anne wanted to try out Blantyre's mount, Lizzy. Lizzy was very skittish, and spooked with the Lady on her.

After Blantyre and Beauty went after them on a wild goose chase through the countryside, Blantyre found Lady Anne lying on the ground. Beauty never forgave Lizzy for injuring his mistress.

Answer: False

He was replaced by Hotspur, an antsy young horse who calmed down under Jerry's gentle care, and when given regular exercise.

Answer: Crimean

"My master, my dear master, was cheering on his comrades with his right arm raised on high, when one of the balls, close to my head, struck him," Captain recalls. Captain says that the first time he felt afraid in battle was when he was alone, with his fallen rider by his feet, while the others fought around him.

Answer: Merrylegs

When Black Beauty first arrives at the Squire's stable, Ginger and Merrylegs introduce themselves. Black Beauty is 4, which he mentions before the move. Ginger is a year or two older, and Merrylegs is 12 years old.

Answer: He spent the rest of his days with the Vicar, as the Vicar had promised Squire Gordon

Squire Gordon was promised by the Vicar that Merrylegs would be kept as a mount for the rest of his life (and then buried). Beauty believed that the Vicar broke his promise, and got rid of Merrylegs, when he saw a pony, who looked like Merrylegs, pull a brick cart.

Answer: His grandfather won the Newmarket race twice

His mother also explains that he shouldn't fight like the others because he had better bloodlines than them, and was bred to be a riding horse, not just a cart horse like the others.

Answer: Her hands

Beauty says "Oh! If people knew what a comfort to horses a light hand is, and how it keeps a good mouth and a good temper, they surely would not chuck, and drag, and pull, at the rein as they often do. Our mouths are so tender, tht where they have not been spoiled...they feel the slightest movement of a driver's hand and we know in an instant what is required of us."

Answer: They had their ears and tails clipped

One day, Sir Oliver and Skye notice that the puppies were removed from his stall. He pondered the possibility that they were removed because the owner was afraid that he'd hurt them. Sir Oliver mentions in his story that the puppies were so valuable, that they couldn't be drowned.
"Why don't they (humans) cut their own children's ears into points to make them look sharp? One would be just as sensible as the other," Sir Oliver asks in contempt for humans harming animals to make them look attractive.

Answer: The bearing rein

She had a fit while harnessed up with a tight bearing rein. While she escaped from the carraige rods unscathed, Beauty's leg was cut. When John brought Beauty and Ginger to Lord W-'s he told the head groom, York, "The black horse never had one on, and the dealer said it was the gag bit that spoiled [Ginger's] temper."

Answer: Uncle Tom's Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe's abolitionist novel made it's round as a literary classic before "Black Beauty" came out. In the U.S. Sewell's novel was advertised as "The 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' of a Horse."

Answer: She broke her ankles

This is mentioned in the "About the Author" sections in many versions of the book. It is well known that she lost most use of her legs, and went around in a pony cart. She never used a whip on the pony. Thank you for taking this quiz, and I hope you enjoyed it.