"'I will give you fifty tomans,' said the envoy. (The toman is worth about five dollars.)
"'A little more—if you please.'
"'Eighty—a hundred.'
"He shook his head and smiled. The officer at last came to two hundred tomans.
"'Well,' said the Arab, 'you need not tempt me farther. You are a rich elchee (nobleman); you have fine horses, camels, and mules, and I am told you have loads of silver and gold. Now,' he added, 'you want my mare, but you shall not have her for all you have got.'"
ANECDOTES OF THE HORSE
The horse has a mind of its own, and now and then lets us see that it can think, but it does not seem to have as good brain-power as the dog or the cat. There is much reason for this. The horse eats grass and does not need to think how to get its food. The dog and cat eat meat, and in their wild state have to catch other animals for food. To do this they have to use tricks and plans which need thought and thus their minds are kept busy.
Also they are in danger from other animals. Take the fox, which is a sort of cousin of the dog. When chased by men and dogs it has many ways of getting away from them besides running. This is not the case with the horse, which is one of the best of runners and trusts to its heels instead of its brain to escape from its enemies. So in its wild state it does little work with its brain.
The horse is a timid animal and easily scared. And when in a state of fright it seems to have no power of thought. All it does is to run in a mad way, rushing along over roads and streets without heed of where it is going, and sometimes knocking out its brains against a post or wall. You will not find a scared fox or wolf show such lack of sense as this. They never get into a wild panic like the horse.