LITTLE STORIES OF FAMOUS ANIMALS
There was once a horse named Bucephalus whom nobody could ride except his master, the famous Alexander the Great; and the reason was because this horse was afraid of his own shadow. He wasn't afraid of anything else, for he would carry his master into the thickest of the fight without flinching.
In those days every boy was trained to be a warrior, as well as to be proficient in all kinds of knowledge, and as Alexander was a very bright youth and loved reading as well as fighting his father sent for the famous Aristotle to be his teacher, under whose teaching he grew up to be a very fine young man. Every night when Alexander went to bed he placed his favorite book, Homer's "Iliad," under his pillow with his sword. Soon he became very expert in all manly sports and excelled every one at his father's court, especially in riding. But had he not been a very bright and observing youth he never would have been able to ride Bucephalus, notwithstanding his splendid horsemanship.
The way it happened was that one day this horse was offered for sale to his father, the King, but none of the grooms or nobles could mount him. Alexander, who had been very carefully watching the beautiful white animal, noticed that Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow. He therefore turned his head toward the sun and after patting the animal until he grew quiet mounted and rode him without any trouble. After that he was always his favorite charger.
When Alexander set out to conquer the Persians Bucephalus was the first to swim across the River Granicus with Alexander, amid a shower of arrows and spears.
On Bucephalus and at the head of his army of 40,000 foot soldiers Alexander defeated Darius, with over 1,000,000 men.
For five years longer Bucephalus carried Alexander to victory, but finally in a battle in India against King Porus Bucephalus was so badly wounded that he died.
Alexander gave his noble horse a splendid burial and founded a city on the battlefield, which he named in his honor Bucephala.