the one hoss shay y otros

8/9/2019 The One Hoss Shay y Otros

1/54

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The One Hoss Shay, by Oliver Wendell

Holes

This eBook is for the use of anyone any!here at no cost and !ith

alost no restrictions !hatsoever" #ou ay co$y it, give it a!ay or

re%use it under the ters of the Project Gutenberg &icense included

!ith this eBook or online at !!!"gutenberg"net

Title' The One Hoss Shay

With its (o$anion Poes Ho! the Old Horse Won the Bet )

The Broostick Train

*uthor' Oliver Wendell Holes

+llustrator' Ho!ard Pyle

elease -ate' October ./, 0112 3EBook 4510627

&anguage' English

(haracter set encoding' 8T9%/

::: ST*T O9 TH+S PO;E(T G8TE


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[2]


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The One Hoss Shay

With its Companion Poems

Ho the Old Horse !on the "et

#

The "roo$stic% Train

"y Oliver !endell Hol$es

With Illustrations by

Hoard &yle


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Boston and New York

Houghton' (ifflin and )o$pany

The *iverside &ress' )a$bridge+

( ,))) -)

[/]

)opyright' 100' 10' 1003' and 1045'

"6O789* !9:,977 HO7(9S.

)opyright' 1041'

"6HO;


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$aterial difficulties it presents. t is conceivable that a being of an order superior

to hu$anity should so understand the conditions of $atter that he could construct

a $achine hich should go to pieces' if not into its constituent ato$s' at a given

$o$ent of the future. The $ind $ay ta%e a certain pleasure in this picture of the

i$possible. The event follos as a logical conseBuence of the presupposed

condition of things.

There is a practical lesson to be got out of the story. Observation []shos us in

hat point any particular $echanis$ is $ost li%ely to give ay. n a agon' for

instance' the ea% point is here the axle enters the hub or nave. !hen the

agon brea%s don' three ti$es out of four' thin%' it is at this point that the

accident occurs. The or%$an should see to it that this part should never give

ayC then find the next vulnerable place' and so on' until he arrives logically at

the perfect result attained by the deacon.

;nBuestionably there is so$ething a little li%e extravagance in ?Ho the OldHorse on the "et' hich taxes the credulity of experienced horse$en. Still

there have been a good $any surprises in the history of the turf and the trotting

course.

The


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The delusion co$$only spo%en of' as if it belonged to Sale$' as $ore

idely diffused through the tons of 9ssex )ounty. 7oo%ing upon it as a pitiful

and long dead and buried superstition' trust $y poe$ ill no $ore offend the

good people of 9ssex )ounty than Ta$ OEShanter orries the honest fol% of

Ayrshire.

The localities referred to are those ith hich a$ fa$iliar in $y drives about

9ssex )ounty.

O. !. H.

%uly' 1041.

[0]

TH9 ,9A)O:ES (AST9*&9)9. &A
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?The parson ta%es a drive 2

?All at once the horse stood still 23

?Then so$ething decidedly li%e a spill 2

?Fust as bubbles do hen they burst 20

?9nd of the onderful one@hoss@shay 24

HO! TH9 O7, HO*S9 !O: TH9 "9T.Half Title /5

[4]?The fa$ous trotting ground /1

?(any a noted steed /2

?The Sunday sell //

?The Gointed tande$ />

?So shy ith us' so free ith these /

?The lovely bonnets bea$ed their s$iles /3

?Ell bet you to to one /

?Harnessed in his one@hoss@shay /0

?The sexton ... led forth the horse >5

?A sight to see >1

?They lead hi$' li$ping' to the trac% >2

?To li$ber out each stiffened Goint >/

?So$ething li%e a stride >

?A $ighty stride he sung >

?Off ent a shoe >0

?And no the stand he rushes by 5

?And off they spring 1

?They follo at his heels 2

?TheyEre losing ground 2

?HeEs distanced all the lot /

?So$e too% his ti$e >

?"ac% in the one@hoss shay he ent 3

?A horse 'an trot' for all heEs old

TH9 "*OO(ST) T*A:.

Half Title 0

?)lear the trac% 4

?An 9ssex ,eacon dropped in to call 35

?The old dellings 31?The s$all sBuare indos 31

?,ar%' di$' ,ante@li%e solitudes 3/

[15]?:or$anEs !oe 3>

?The Screeching !o$an of (arblehead 3

?t isnEt fair 33

?6ouEre a good oldIfelloIco$e' let us go 30
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?See ho tall theyEve gron 34

?They called the cats 5

?The 9ssex people had dreadful ti$es 1

?The ithered hags ere free 2

?A strange sea@$onster stole their bait >

?They could hear hi$ tenty $iles ?They ca$e ... at their $asterEs call 3

?6ou can hear her blac% catEs purr 0

?)atch a glea$ fro$ her ic%ed eye 4

Tail &iece 05

[11]
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[12]

The ,eaconEs (asterpiece

HA89you heard of the onderful one@hoss shay'

That as built in such a logical ay

t ran a hundred years to a day'And then' of a sudden' itIah' but stay'

Ell tell you hat happened ithout delay'

Scaring the parson into fits'

[1/]=rightening people out of their its'I

Have you ever heard of that' sayJ

Seventeen hundred and fifty@five'

(eorgius $e'undusas then alive'I

Snuffy old drone fro$ the


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[1]

n scre' bolt' thoroughbrace'Ilur%ing still'

=ind it so$ehere you $ust and ill'I

Above or belo' or ithin or ithout'I

And thatEs the reason' beyond a doubt'

A chaise breaks down' but doesnEt wear out.

"ut the ,eacon sore Kas ,eacons do'

!ith an ? de vu$' or an ? tellyeou'L

He ould build one shay to beat the taon

EnE the %eounty EnE all the %entry raounEC

t should be so built that it 'ouldn)brea% daonMI?=ur' said the ,eacon' ?EtEs $ighty plain

Thut the ea%esE place $usE stanE the strainC

EnE the ay tE fix it' uN $aintain'

s only Gest

TE $a%e that place uN strong uN the rest.


11/54

[13]

So the ,eacon inBuired of the village fol%

!here he could find the strongest oa%'

That couldnEt be split nor bent nor bro%e'I

[1]

That as for spo%es and floor and sillsC

He sent for lanceood to $a%e the thillsC

The crossbars ere ash' fro$ the straightest trees'

The panels of hiteood' that cuts li%e cheese'

"ut lasts li%e iron for things li%e theseC

The hubs of logs fro$ the ?SettlerEs ellu$'I

7ast of its ti$ber'Ithey couldnEt sell Ee$'

:ever an axe had seen their chips'

And the edges fle fro$ beteen their lip

Their blunt ends friNNled li%e celery@tipsCStep and prop@iron' bolt and scre'

Spring' tire' axle' and linchpin too'

Steel of the finest' bright and blueC

Thoroughbrace bison@s%in' thic% and ideC[10]

"oot' top' dasher' fro$ tough old hide

=ound in the pit hen the tanner died.


12/54

That as the ay he ?put her through.

?ThereM said the ,eacon' ?nao sheEll de.

,oM tell you' rather guess

She as a onder' and nothing lessM

[14]


13/54

[25]

)olts gre horses' beards turned gray',eacon and deaconess dropped aay'

)hildren and grandchildrenIhere ere theyJ

"ut there stood the stout old one@hoss@shay

As fresh as on 7isbon@earthBua%e@dayM


14/54

[21]

9


15/54

7ittle of all e value here

!a%es on the $orn of its hundredth year

!ithout both feeling and loo%ing Bueer.n fact' thereEs nothing that %eeps its youth'

So far as %no' but a tree and truth.

KThis is a $oral that runs at largeC

Ta%e it.I6ouEre elco$e.I:o extra charge.L

[2/]

=*STO=:O89("9*'Ithe 9arthBua%[email protected]

There are traces of age in the one@hoss@shay'

A general flavor of $ild decay'

"ut nothing local' as one $ay say.


16/54

[2>]There couldnEt be'Ifor the ,eaconEs art

Had $ade it so li%e in every part

That there asnEt a chance for one to start.

=or the heels ere Gust as strong as the thills'

And the floor as Gust as strong as the sills'

And the panels Gust as strong as the floor'And the hippletree neither less nor $ore'

And the bac%@crossbar as strong as the fore'

And spring and axle and hub en'ore'

And yet' as a whole' it is past a doubt

n another hour it ill be worn outM

[2]

=irst of :ove$ber' E=ifty@fiveM

This $orning the parson ta%es a drive.

:o' s$all boys' get out of the ayM

Here co$es the onderful one@hoss@shay'

,ran by a rat@tailed' ee@nec%ed bay.

?HuddupM said the parson.IOff ent they.

[23]


17/54

The parson as or%ing his SundayEs text'IHad got to*i*thly' and stopped perplexed

At hat theI(osesIas co$ing next.

All at once the horse stood still'

)lose by the $eetEnE@house on the hill.

I=irst a shiver' and then a thrill'

Then so$ething decidedly li%e a spill'I

[2]


18/54

[20]

And the parson as sitting upon a roc%'

At half@past nine by the $eetEnE@house cloc%'I

Fust the hour of the 9arthBua%e shoc%M

I!hat do you thin% the parson found'

!hen he got up and stared aroundJ

The poor old chaise in a heap or $ound'

As if it had been to the $ill and groundM

6ou see' of course' if youEre not a dunce'

Ho it ent to pieces all at once'I

All at once' and nothing first'IFust as bubbles do hen they burst.


19/54

[24]

9nd of the onderful one@hoss@shay.

7ogic is logic. ThatEs all say.

[/5]


20/54

[/1]

HO! TH9 O7, HO*S9 !O: TH9 "9T

ET !ASon the fa$ous trotting@ground'

The betting $en ere gathered round

=ro$ far and nearC the ?crac%s ere there

!hose deeds the sporting prints declare

The sift g. $.' Old Hira$Es nag'


21/54

The fleet s. h.' ,an &feifferEs brag'

[/2]!ith these a thirdIand ho is he

That stands beside his fast b. g.J

"udd ,oble' hose catarrhal na$e

So fills the nasal tru$p of fa$e.

There too stood $any a noted steed

Of (essenger and (organ breedC


22/54

[/>]

"lue are the s%ies of opening dayC

The bordering turf is green ith (ayC

The sunshineEs golden glea$ is thron

On sorrel' chestnut' bay' and roanC

The horses pa and prance and neigh'

=illies and colts li%e %ittens play'

And dance and toss their rippled $anes

Shining and soft as sil%en s%einsC

!agons and gigs are ranged about'

And fashion flaunts her gay turn@outC

Here stands'Ieach youthful FehuEs drea$'IThe Gointed tande$' tic%lish tea$M


23/54

[/]

And there in a$pler breadth expand

The splendors of the four@in@handC

On faultless ties and glossy tiles

The lovely bonnets bea$ their s$ilesC

KThe styleEs the $an' so boo%s avoC

The styleEs the o$an' anyhoCL

=ro$ flounces frothed ith crea$y lace&eeps out the pug@dogEs s$utty face'

Or spaniel rolls his liBuid eye'

Or stares the iry pet of S%yeCI

O o$an' in your hours of ease

So shy ith us' so free ith theseM

[/3]


24/54

[/]

?)o$e onM Ell bet you to to one

Ell $a%e hi$ do itM ?!ill youJ ,oneM

!hat as it ho as bound to doJ

did not hear and canEt tell you'I

&ray listen till $y storyEs through.


25/54

[/0]

Scarce noticed' bac% behind the rest'

"y cart and agon rudely prest'

The parsonEs lean and bony bay

Stood harnessed in his one@horse shayI

7ent to his sexton for the dayC

KA funeralIso the sexton saidC

His $otherEs uncleEs ife as dead.L

7i%e 7aNarus bid to ,ivesE feast'

So loo%ed the poor forlorn old beastC[/4]His coat as rough' his tail as bare'

The gray as sprin%led in his hairC

Sports$en and Goc%eys %ne hi$ not'

And yet they say he once could trot

A$ong the fleetest of the ton'

Till so$ething crac%ed and bro%e hi$ don'I


26/54

The steedEs' the states$anEs' co$$on lotM

?And are e then so soon forgotJ

Ah $eM doubt if one of you

Has ever heard the na$e ?Old "lue'

!hose fa$e through all this region rung

n those old days hen as youngM

?"ring forth the horseM AlasM he shoed

:ot li%e the one (aNeppa rodeC

[>5]Scant@$aned' sharp@bac%ed' and sha%y@%need'

The rec% of hat as once a steed'

7ips thin' eyes hollo' stiff in GointsC

6et not ithout his %noing points.

The sexton laughing in his sleeve'

As if Et ere all a $a%e@believe'

7ed forth the horse' and as he laughed

[>1]

;nhitched the breeching fro$ a shaft'

;nclasped the rusty belt beneath'

,re forth the snaffle fro$ his teeth'

Slipped off his head@stall' set hi$ free

=ro$ strap and rein'Ia sight to seeM


27/54

[>2]

So orn' so lean in every li$b't canEt be they are saddling hi$M

t isM his bac% the pig@s%in strides

And flaps his lan%' rheu$atic sidesC

!ith loo% of $ingled scorn and $irth

They buc%le round the saddle@girthC

!ith horsey in% and saucy toss

A youngster thros his leg across'

And so' his rider on his bac%'

They lead hi$' li$ping' to the trac%'

=ar up behind the starting@point'To li$ber out each stiffened Goint.

[>/]


28/54

[>>]

As through the Geering crod he past'

One pitying loo% old Hira$ castC

?


29/54


30/54

[>0]

Off ent a shoe'Iaay it spun'

Shot li%e a bullet fro$ a gunC

The Bua%ing Goc%ey shapes a prayer

=ro$ scraps of oaths he used to searC

He drops his hip' he drops his rein'

He clutches fiercely for a $aneC

[>4]

HeEll lose his holdIhe says and reelsI

HeEll slide beneath those tra$pling heelsMThe %nees of $any a horse$an Bua%e'

The floers on $any a bonnet sha%e'

And shouts arise fro$ left and right'

?Stic% onM Stic% onM ?Hould tightM Hould tightM

?)ling round his nec% and donEt let goI

?That pace canEt hold'IthereM steadyM hoaM


31/54

"ut li%e the sable steed that bore

The spectral lover of 7enore'

His nostrils snorting foa$ and fire'

:o stretch his bony li$bs can tireC

And no the stand he rushes by'

And ?Stop hi$MIstop hi$M is the cry.

[5]

[1]

Stand bac%M heEs only Gust begun'I

HeEs having out three heats in oneM?,onEt rush in frontM heEll s$ash your brainsC

"ut follo up and grab the reinsM

Old Hira$ spo%e. ,an &feiffer heard'

And sprang i$patient at the ordC

"udd ,oble started on his bay'

Old Hira$ folloed on his gray'


32/54

And off they spring' and round they go'

The fast ones doing ?all they %no.

[2]

7oo%M tice they follo at his heels'

As round the circling course he heels'

And hirls ith hi$ that clinging boy

7i%e Hector round the alls of TroyC

Still on' and on' the third ti$e roundM

TheyEre tailing offM theyEre losing groundM

[/]

"udd ,obleEs nag begins to failM

,an &feifferEs sorrel his%s his tailM

And seeM in spite of hip and shout'

Old Hira$Es $are is giving outM

:o for the finishM at the turn'The old horseIall the rest astern'I

)o$es singing in' ith easy trotC

"y FoveM heEs distanced all the lotM


33/54

[>]

That trot no $ortal could explainCSo$e said' ?Old ,utch$an co$e againM

So$e too% his ti$e'Iat least they tried'

"ut hat it as could none decideC

One said he couldnEt understand

!hat happened to his second handC

One said 2.15C thatcouldnEt beI

(ore li%e to tenty to or threeC

[]Old Hira$ settled it at lastC

?The ti$e as toItoo dee@vel@ish fastM

The parsonEs horse had on the betC

t cost hi$ so$ething of a seatC

"ac% in the one@hoss shay he entC

The parson ondered hat it $eant'

And $ur$ured' ith a $ild surprise

And pleasant tin%le of the eyes'

?That funeral $ust have been a tric%'


34/54

Or corpses drive at double@Buic%C

shouldnEt onder' declare'

f brotherIFehuI$ade the prayerM

And this is all have to say

About that tough old trotting bay.HuddupM HuddupM


35/54

[0]

[4]


36/54

TH9 "*OO(ST) T*A:

7OOoutM 7oo% out' boysM )lear the trac%M

The itches are hereM TheyEve all co$e bac%M

They hanged the$ high'I:o useM :o useM

!hat cares a itch for a hang$anEs nooseJThey buried the$ deep' but they ouldnEt lie still'

=or cats and itches are hard to %illC

[35]They sore they shouldnEt and ouldnEt die'I

"oo%s said they did' but they lieM they lieM

IA couple of hundred years' or so'

They had %noc%ed about in the orld belo'

!hen an 9ssex ,eacon dropped in to call'

And a ho$esic% feeling seiNed the$ allC

=or he ca$e fro$ a place they %ne full ell'And $any a tale he had to tell.

[31]


37/54

They long to visit the haunts of $en'

To see the old dellings they %ne again'

And ride on their broo$stic%s all around

Their ide do$ain of unhalloed ground.

n 9ssex county thereEs $any a roof

!ell %non to hi$ of the cloven hoofC

The s$all sBuare indos are full in vie

!hich the $idnight hags ent sailing through'

[32]

On their ell@trained broo$stic%s $ounted high'

Seen li%e shados against the s%yC)rossing the trac% of ols and bats'

Hugging before the$ their coal@blac% cats.

!ell did they %no' those gray old ives'

The sights e see in our daily drives

Shi$$er of la%e and shine of sea'

"ronEs bare hill ith its lonely tree'

Kt asnEt then as e see it no'

!ith one scant scalp@loc% to shade its broCL

,us%y noo%s in the 9ssex oods',ar%' di$' ,ante@li%e solitudes'

!here the tree@toad atches the sinuous sna%e


38/54

[3>]

psich *iverC its old stone bridgeC

=ar off AndoverEs ndian *idge'

And $any a scene here history tells

So$e shado of bygone terror dells'I

Of ?:or$anEs !oe ith its tale of dread'


39/54

[3]

Of the Screeching !o$an of (arblehead'

KThe fearful story that turns $en pale

,onEt bid $e tell it'I$y speech ould fail.L

!ho ould not' ill not' if he can'

"athe in the breeNes of fair )ape Ann'I*est in the boers her bays enfold'

7oved by the sache$s and sBuas of oldJ

Ho$e here the hite $agnolias bloo$'

[33]Seet ith the bayberryEs chaste perfu$e'

Hugged by the oods and %issed by the seaM

!here is the 9den li%e to theeJ


40/54

=or that ?couple of hundred years' or so'

There had been no peace in the orld beloC

The itches still gru$bling' ?t isnEt fairC

)o$e' give us a taste of the upper airM

!eEve had enough of your sulphur springs'

And the evil odor that round the$ clingsC!e long for a drin% that is cool and nice'I


41/54

[34]

?Here are your broo$stic%s' an i$p replied.

?TheyEve been inIthe place you %noIso long

They s$ell of bri$stone unco$$on strongC

"ut theyEve gained by being left alone'I

Fust loo%' and youEll see ho tall theyEve gron.


42/54

[5]

I?And here is $y catJ a vixen sBualled.

?6es' here are our catsJ the itches baled'

And began to call the$ all by na$e

As fast as they called the cats' they ca$e

There as bob@tailed To$$y and long@tailed Ti$'

And all@eyed Fac%y and green@eyed Fi$'

And splay@foot "enny and sli$@legged "eau'

And S%inny and SBually' and Ferry and Foe'

[1]And $any another that ca$e at call'I

t ould ta%e too long to count the$ all.All blac%'Ione could hardly tell hich as hich'

"ut every cat %ne his on old itchC

And she %ne hers as hers %ne her'I

Ah' didnEt they curl their tails and purrM

:o sooner the ithered hags ere free

Than out they sar$ed for a $idnight spreeC


43/54

couldnEt tell all they did in rhy$es'

"ut the 9ssex people had dreadful ti$es.

[2]

[/]

The Sa$pscott fisher$en still relate

Ho a strange sea@$onster stole their baitC

Ho their nets ere tangled in loops and %nots'

And they found dead crabs in their lobster@pots.

&oor ,anvers grieved for her blasted crops'


44/54

And !il$ington $ourned over $ildeed hops.

A blight played havoc ith "everly beans'I

t as all the or% of those hateful BueansM

A dreadful panic began at ?&rideEs'

!here the itches stopped in their $idnight rides'

And there rose strange ru$ors and vague alar$sE(id the peaceful dellers at "everly =ar$s.

[>]

[]

:o hen the "oss of the "elda$s foundThat ithout his leave they ere ra$ping round'

He called'Ithey could hear hi$ tenty $iles'

=ro$ )helsea beach to the (isery slesC

The deafest old granny %ne his tone

!ithout the tric% of the telephone.


45/54

[3]

?)o$e here' you itchesM )o$e hereM says he'I?At your ga$es of old' ithout as%ing $eM

Ell give you a little Gob to do

That ill %eep you stirring' you godless creM

They ca$e' of course' at their $asterEs call'

The itches' the broo$stic%s' the cats' and allC

[]

He led the hags to a railay train

The horses ere trying to drag in vain.

?:o' then' says he' ?youEve had your fun'And here are the cars youEve got to run.

The driver $ay Gust unhitch his tea$'

!e donEt ant horses' e donEt ant stea$

6ou $ay %eep your old blac% cats to hug'

"ut the loaded train youEve got to lug.


46/54

Since then on $any a car youEll see

A broo$stic% plain as plain can beC

On every stic% thereEs a itch astride'I

The string you see to her leg is tied.

She ill do a $ischief if she can'

"ut the string is held by a careful $an'And henever the evil@$inded itch

!ould cut so$e caper' he gives a titch.

[0]

As for the hag' you canEt see her'

"ut har%M you can hear her blac% catEs purr'

And no and then' as a car goes by'

6ou $ay catch a glea$ fro$ her ic%ed eye.

Often youEve loo%ed on a rushing train'

"ut Gust hat $oved it as not so plain.

t couldnEt be those ires above'

=or they could neither pull nor shoveC

!here as the $otor that $ade it go

6ou couldnEt guess' but now you know.

[4]


47/54

[05]

*e$e$ber $y rhy$es hen you ride again

On the rattling rail by the broo$stic% trainM


48/54

Transcribers Note

The folloing typographical errors ere corrected.

&age 9rror

4 one@hoss@shay one@hoss shay

>4 let goI let goI

End of Project Gutenbergs The One Hoss Shay, by Oliver Wendell Holes

::: Eiller and the Online -istributed

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