The Black Stallion - Hardcover

Farley, Walter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394868765 ISBN 13: 9780394868769

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 1986

Synopsis

When the steamer Drake is shipwrecked off the Spanish coast, there are only two survivors. One is young Alec Ramsay. The other is the Black Stallion--wildest
of all creatures--who saves Alec's life. Stranded on a desert island, boy and stallion develop a deep and special bond. The Black is the horse Alec has always
dreamed of: beautiful, savage, and majestic. Alec is determined to tame him. But the job turns out to be more difficult and dangerous than he ever imagined...


From the Paperback edition.

About this title

About the Author

Walter Farley's first book, The Black Stallion, was an instant hit when it appeared in 1941. Mr. Farley went on to write thirty-three other enormously popular books about the Black Stallion and other horses which were published in more than twenty countries. He died in 1989, shortly before the publication of his last novel, The Young Black Stallion, written with his son Steven.


From the Paperback edition.

Reviews

Grade 1-3 Farley has undertaken another adaptation of his perpetually popular book, this time for readers not yet ready to tackle his The Black Stallion Picture Book (Random, 1979). This version is based on the ``Wild horse rescues boy'' segment of both the original story and the 1979 movie tie-in, from which a few sentences are repeated word-for-word. Writing in a bare-bones primer style, the author has pared down the adventures of Alec and the Black to a basic plot. Short, simple sentences describe the shipwreck, the struggle to survive, and the rescue that are already familiar to the millions of children who have seen the movie. Although the text is unremarkable, the illustrations succeed in recapturing the thrills of the ultimate child/horse fantasy. Drawing in pen-and-ink with a watercolor wash, Rabinowitz portrays the Black stallion as an exquisite, long-legged Arabian, with a strong resemblance to the real-life equine star, ``Cass Ole.'' Double-page spreads alternate with single-page illustrations, and they serve to convey the story independent of the text. Combined with the obvious appeal of the subject, the effective artwork makes this book a sure-fire winner for young horse fanciers. Charlene Strickland, Los Angeles County Public Library, Valencia
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Homeward Bound

1

The tramp steamer Drake plowed away from the coast of India and pushed its blunt prow into the Arabian Sea, homeward bound. Slowly it made its way west toward the Gulf of Aden. Its hold was loaded with coffee, rice, tea, oil seeds and jute. Black smoke poured from its one stack, darkening the hot cloudless sky.

Alexander Ramsay, known to his friends back home in New York City as Alec, leaned over the rail and watched the water slide away from the sides of the boat. His red hair blazed redder than ever in the hot sun; his tanned elbows rested heavily on the rail as he turned his freckled face back toward the fast-disappearing shore.

It had been fun--those two months in India. He would miss Uncle Ralph, miss the days they had spent together in the jungle, even the screams of the panthers and the many eerie sounds of the jungle night. Never again would he think of a missionary's work as easy work. No, sir, you had to be big and strong, able to ride horseback for long hours through the tangled jungle paths. Alec glanced down proudly at the hard muscles in his arms. Uncle Ralph had taught him how to ride--the one thing in the world he had always wanted to do.

But it was all over now. Rides back home would be few.

His fist opened. Lovingly he surveyed the pearl pocketknife he held there. The inscription on it was in gold: To Alec on his birthday, Bombay, India. He remembered, too, his uncle's words: "A knife, Alec, comes in handy sometimes."

Suddenly a large hand descended on his shoulder. "Well, m'boy, you're on your way home," a gruff voice said, with a decidedly English accent.

Alec looked up into the captain's wrinkled, wind-tanned face. "Hello, Captain Watson," he answered. "It's rather a long way home, though, sir. To England with you and then to New York on the Majestic."

"About four weeks' sailing all in all, lad, but you look like a pretty good sailor."

"I am, sir. I wasn't sick once all the way over and we had a rough crossing, too," Alec said proudly.

"When'd you come over, lad?"

"In June, sir, with some friends of my father's. They left me with my uncle in Bombay. You know my Uncle Ralph, don't you? He came aboard with me and spoke to you."

"Yes, I know your Uncle Ralph. A fine man, too. . . . And now you're going home alone?"

"Yes, sir! School opens next month and I have to be there."

The captain smiled and took Alec by the arm. "Come along," he said. "I'll show you how we steer this ship and what makes it go."

The captain and crew were kind to Alec, but the days passed monotonously for the homeward-bound boy as the Drake steamed its way through the Gulf of Aden and into the Red Sea. The tropic sun beat down mercilessly on the heads of the few passengers aboard.

The Drake kept near the coast of Arabia--endless miles of barren desert shore. But Alec's thoughts were not on the scorching sand. Arabia--where the greatest horses in the world were bred! Did other fellows dream of horses the way he did? To him, a horse was the greatest animal in the world.

Then one day the Drake headed for a small Arabian port. As they approached the small landing, Alec saw a crowd of Arabs milling about in great excitement. Obviously it was not often that a boat stopped there.

But, as the gangplank went down with a bang, Alec could see that it wasn't the ship itself that was attracting all the attention. The Arabs were crowding toward the center of the landing. Alec heard a whistle--shrill, loud, clear, unlike anything he had ever heard before. He saw a mighty black horse rear on its hind legs, its forelegs striking out into the air. A white scarf was tied across its eyes. The crowd broke and ran.

White lather ran from the horse's body; his mouth was open, his teeth bared. He was a giant of a horse, glistening black--too big to be pure Arabian. His mane was like a crest, mounting, then falling low. His neck was long and slender, and arched to the small, savagely beautiful head. The head was that of the wildest of all wild creatures--a stallion born wild--and it was beautiful, savage, splendid. A stallion with a wonderful physical perfection that matched his savage, ruthless spirit.

Once again the Black screamed and rose on his hind legs. Alec could hardly believe his eyes and ears--a stallion, a wild stallion--unbroken, such as he had read and dreamed about!


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0394868765
• ISBN 13: 9780394868769
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40