Black Beauty saw many horses suffer in London. Most of this was because people were not thinking. Horses do not mind hard work if people are kind. Some poor men treat horses better than rich people.
Black Beauty often felt sad for the small ponies (very small horses). Some boys made them pull very heavy loads. The boys hit the ponies (small horses) with whips.
Once, Black Beauty saw a small gray pony (small horse). He looked like Black Beauty's old friend, Merrylegs. A boy was hitting the pony (small horse) and pulling its mouth. Black Beauty hoped it was not Merrylegs.
Black Beauty also watched the butcher (a person who kills animals and sells meat) horses. These horses always ran very fast. One day, Black Beauty waited near a butcher (meat seller) shop.
A butcher (meat seller) cart arrived very fast. The horse was hot and very tired. Its legs were shaking. A boy jumped out of the cart. Then the boy's father came out of the shop.
The father was very angry with the boy. He said, “I told you many times! Do not drive the horse so fast. You ruined the last horse. Now you are ruining this one too.”
The father said the police might take the boy to jail. But the boy was also angry. He said it was not his fault. He said the customers were always in a big hurry.
The boy said, “One lady wants her meat in fifteen minutes. Another lady forgot to order her beef. Everyone says, ‘Hurry! Hurry!’ all the time. The customers should order their meat the day before.”
The father agreed. He said, “I wish they would order earlier. It would be better for me and the horse. But nobody thinks about the horse.” He told the boy to take the horse inside.
But not all boys were cruel. Black Beauty saw a young boy with a pony (small horse). The boy sold vegetables. He and the pony (small horse) were great friends. Jerry Barker called the boy "Prince Charlie."
There was also an old man with a coal cart. He and his old horse worked together like partners. The horse knew exactly where to stop. Jerry Barker was happy to see a horse so happy in a poor place.