STORY OF A HORSE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 907, 19 July 1889, Page 20

STORY OF A HORSE.

The public at large are warned against receiving or harboring a bay horse now wandering in the suburbs of Wellington. This warning is not given with a view to preventing people taking possession of and making use of the animal—anyone who takes a fancy to him on the strength of his appearance can have him—but as an intimation to all whom it may concern that the aforesaid horse is an evil disposed and malicious beast incapable of honest work, and who preys upon the vitals of society by exacting sustenance and thoughtful care under false pretences. His name is Beelzebub. The circumstances under which Beelzebub passed the first thirty or forty years of his existence are not known, buc we will take up his history at a point when, some months ago, he pasaed into the proud possession of a clerk in a laige banking business. This young gentleman, having a weakness for horseflesh, fed Beelzebub luxuriously for a few weeks, with a view to improving his personal appearance, by filling up obvious gaps between his ribs, reducing the size of his knees and extending his skin, which had become so tight that numerous pointed bones almost penetrated it. One day it occurred to him to take a ride, and the horse was brought forth saddled and equipped generally. Beelzebub’s constitution, however, was unequal to exercise, and once in the street he quietly but effectively fell to the ground in a heap of which his owner formed part. Subsequent trials confirmed Beelzebub’s weakness of character and constitution, and brought upon his owner the derisive jeers of various ribald friends. It was then thought that a spell in the country would do Beelzebub good, and a short sojourn in the bracing air of Wadestown was considered likely to restore his self-confidence. He was accordingly entrusted to the care of a resident of that locality, who is something of an artist. It occurred to this gentleman that he would ride Beelzebub up the hill, and he mounted him. Simultaneously Beelzebub laid dowD in the road. Nothing despairing, his custodian mounted again, with the same result, slightly aggravated in detail. When Beelzebub had revived himself by leaning against the fence for a few minutes, and when his temporary proprietor had recovered consciousness, they proceeded up the hill at a gentle pace, and eventually arrived home. Beelzebub, being placed in. his stable, proceeded to eat such food as was within his reach, and made short work of an extra large feed of oats. He does not appear to have slept during the night, for by next morning he had eaten his straw bed, and was discovered in the act of masticating his halter. Next evening his bed was made of straw taken from beer boxes, shavings and chips, sweepings, rags, &c., all of which he absorbed into his system during the night. The beer straw having got into his head, Beelzebub made his way into the house and began to eat the family. He was beaten off with a broomstick, and thereupon retired into theflower garden and enjoyed himself by eating the plants and parts of the fences. After many startling adventures of this kind, the ingenious idea of raffling Beelzebub occurred to his owner, and he was raffled accordingly as a staunch hack. An unfortunate person in the insurance business won Beelzebub, and surreptitiously fed him, regardless of expense, on oats belonging to his employers for a week. Although still possessed of a remarkably good appetite, the horse was quite unequal to work, aud so his latest owner made an agreement to sell him for ten shillings on a certain day. On the evening of that day Beelzebub escaped, taking with him several valuable documents and a small feed box, which he is supposed to have eaten. He was last seen in the vicinity of Wadestown eating the fences and the trunks of bluegum trees. No reward is offered for his apprehension, but any person bringing his head, minus the rest of nim, to any of his owners will receive their warmest thanks.