Black Beauty

Having never read Black Beauty as a child, I thought I'd give it a go. You know, to enhance my cultural literacy, heehee. Anyway, I was disappointed. I was actually looking for the next read for one of my students and I am not sure if I will recommend this book or not. Probably not.

My main dislike was that the author seemed to have a social agenda rather than trying to tell a great story. It seemed that she made it all up with the express purpose of pushing animal rights. I am all for loving animals and I believe God gave us the dominion and care of these wonderful creatures He created for us. However, they do not have what we have: the breathe of life, the zoe that God breathed into us, a soul that can connect with God on the most spiritual level. So the animals are not on the same plane as us, though we do have a responsibility to care for them as best we can.

If the author had written more about the horse himself than his uses and abuses, she might have included him falling in love and siring colts. That would have been a nice addition to the story.

I was pleasantly surprised by the last chapter though, since I had always heard that this was a sad book. Most of the book was sad, but the ending was a happy one. Kudos for Anna Sewell on that part.

Reading

 Ok, I got inspired! So many friends have asked me to start
a blog, but since I can't think of anything to say, I will start
with my favorite poem. Hope ya'll enjoy it!!!
Sherry

TELEVISION

The most important thing we've learned,

So far as children are concerned,

Is never, NEVER, NEVER let

Them near your television set -

Or better still, just don't install

The idiotic thing at all.

In almost every house we've been,

We've watched them gaping at the screen.

They loll and slop and lounge about,

And stare until their eyes pop out.

(Last week in someone's place we saw

a dozen eyeballs on the floor.)

They sit and stare and stare and sit

Until they are hypnotized by it,

Until they are absolutely drunk

With all that shocking ghastly junk.

Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,

They don't climb out the window sill,

They never fight or kick or punch,

They leave you free to cook the lunch

And wash the dishes in the sink -

But did you ever stop to think,

To wonder just exactly what

This does to your beloved tot?

IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!

IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!

IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND!

HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND

A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!

HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!

HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!

HE CANNOT THINK - HE ONLY SEES ! ! !

"All right!" you'll cry. "All right!" you'll say,

'But what if we take the set away,

What shall we do to entertain

Our darling children? Please explain!'

We'll answer this by asking you,

'What used the darling one's to do?

:How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?'

Have you forgotten? Don't you know?

We'll say it very loud and slow.

THEY . . . USED . . . TO . . . READ! They'd READ and READ,

and READ and READ, and then proceed

To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!

One half their lives was reading books!

The nursery shelves held books galore!

Books cluttered up the nursery floor!

And in the bedroom, by the bed,

More books were waiting to be read?

Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales

Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales

And treasure isles, and distant shores

Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,

And pirates wearing purple pants,

And sailing ships and elephants

And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,

Stirring away at something hot.

(It smells so good, what can it be?

Good gracious, it's Penelope.)

The younger ones had Beatrix Potter

With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,

And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,

And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and -

Just How the Camel Got His Hump,

And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,

And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,

There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole -

Oh, books, what books they used to know,

Those children living long ago!

So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away,

And in its place you can install

A lovely bookshelf on the wall.

Then fill the shelves with lots of books,

Ignoring all the dirty looks,

The screams and yells, the bites, and kicks,

And children hitting you with sticks -

Fear not, because we promise you

That in about a week or two

Of having nothing else to do,

They'll now begin to feel the need

Of having something good to read.

And once they start - oh, boy, oh boy!

You'll watch the slowly growing joy

That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen

They'll wonder what they'd ever seen

In that ridiculous machine,

That nauseating, foul, unclean,

Repulsive television screen!

And later, each and ever kid

Will love you more for what you did.

Entitled Television by Roald Dahl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory