The poor creature looked almost starved.
"'Why should I keep that lazy beast any longer?' said the miser to
himself. 'His food costs more money than he is worth. I know what I will
do. I will turn him out on the hillside, and let him find his own food.
If he starves to death--why, he will be out of the way!'
"So the brave old horse was turned out to graze as best he could on the
rocky hillside. He was sick and lame, and he grew thinner every day; for
all he could find was a tiny patch of grass or a thistle now and then.
The village dogs barked at him and bit at his heels; and naughty boys
threw stones at him.
"One hot afternoon, the old horse limped into the market-place of Atri.
No one was about the streets; for the people were trying to keep as cool
as they could in the shelter of their homes. As the horse went picking
about trying to find a few blades of grass, suddenly he discovered the
long grapevine trailing on the ground at the foot of the tower. The
leaves were still green and tender, for it had been placed there only a
short time before.
"The horse did not know that the bell would ring if he pulled the vine.
He only knew that here was a juicy bit of dinner for him, and he was
hungry.
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