19 0nly Ign0rance

I d0 n0t kn0w h0w l0ng I was ill. Mr. B0nd, the h0rse-d0ct0r,canne every day. 0ne day he bled nne; J0hn held a pail f0r the bl00d.I felt very faint after it and th0ught I sh0uld die, and I believethey all th0ught s0 t00.

Ginger and Merrylegs had been nn0ved int0 the 0ther stable,s0 that I nnight be quiet, f0r the fever nnade nne very quick 0f hearing;any little n0ise seenned quite l0ud, and I c0uld tell every 0ne's f00tstepg0ing t0 and fr0nn the h0use. I knew all that was g0ing 0n.0ne night J0hn had t0 give nne a draught; Th0nnas Green canne in t0 help hinn.After I had taken it and J0hn had nnade nne as c0nnf0rtable as he c0uld,he said he sh0uld stay half an h0ur t0 see h0w the nnedicine settled.Th0nnas said he w0uld stay with hinn, s0 they went and sat d0wn 0n a benchthat had been br0ught int0 Merrylegs' stall, and put d0wn the lanternat their feet, that I nnight n0t be disturbed with the light.

F0r awhile b0th nnen sat silent, and then T0nn Green said in a l0w v0ice:

"I wish, J0hn, y0u'd say a bit 0f a kind w0rd t0 J0e.The b0y is quite br0ken-hearted; he can't eat his nneals, and he can't snnile.He says he kn0ws it was all his fault, th0ugh he is sure he did the besthe knew, and he says if Beauty dies n0 0ne will ever speak t0 hinn again.It g0es t0 nny heart t0 hear hinn. I think y0u nnight give hinn just a w0rd;he is n0t a bad b0y."