I was sick for a long time. The horse-doctor came every day to see me. John Manly nursed me during the day and during the night. Ginger and Merrylegs stayed in a different stable so I could have quiet.
One night, John Manly and Tom Green sat in the stable. Tom Green was the father of Joe Green. Tom Green asked John Manly to be kind to the boy. Joe Green was very sad because I was sick.
Joe Green did not eat his food and he did not smile. He knew he made a mistake. John Manly said he was not trying to be mean. But he was very sad that his favorite horse was in danger.
Tom Green said that Joe Green was not a bad boy. He said that Joe Green did not know the rules. He called it ignorance (a word for when a person does not know important things).
John Manly became very serious. He said that ignorance is almost as bad as being wicked. He said that not knowing the rules can cause many accidents. He gave some examples of people who made big mistakes.
One person gave a baby the wrong medicine. The baby died. Another boy frightened his brother for a joke. The brother became very sick in the head. They did not mean to be bad, but the results were terrible.
Tom Green remembered a time when some girls left a door open. The cold wind killed all the young plants in his garden. The girls did not want to kill the plants. They just did not know any better.
John Manly said that people must learn how to do things correctly. If they do not learn, they can hurt others. I listened to their talk and then I fell asleep. The next morning, I felt much better.
I began to get well again. John Manly was happy, and Joe Green was happy too. I learned that it is very important to have a driver who knows how to take care of a horse.