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Authors: Eithne Massey
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trouble to get into, he was always in the thick of it. Tom was quieter but he was always up for any adventure Jack might lead them into. Together, they explored the docks, where the great ships moored in the sludge of the Liffey. Kai thought their high masts and flying sails some of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. The children would spend hours watching the strange-looking people and the fascinating cargoes they carried: bales of rich silks, exotic wines and fruits, spices and perfumes, and lovely yellow stone from England for the continuing work on the two cathedrals and the castle.
Jack was especially excited the day a shipload of thoroughbred horses was unloaded. They went wild coming off the boat, kicking and snorting and trying their best to run away. Jack ran down from his perch on the dock and offered to hold some for the groom, who was cursing soundly as a flying hoof narrowly missed his head.
‘You’m just be making them worse, I’d say,’ he said in a thick Bristol accent. ‘But if you’m can hold onto any, and help me get them to the stables in Cook Street, I’ll give thee a farthing.’
At this, Kai slid down the bank and went to help Jack. A farthing was not to be sniffed at. Tom sat for a moment. Hewas more nervous around horses than he would ever admit to Jack and Kai. In fact, he hated being near them. He had been kicked by one of the mill horses when he was very small, and he had never forgotten the pain and the shock, and the sight of the horse’s red, rolling eyes. He still had nightmares about it. Even now sometimes, after he had been running or jumping, the scar on his knee throbbed and he was reminded yet again of that horrible moment. But he did not want to be left behind. He drew a breath and followed them down.
Kai was used to horses, and did her best to help, and Tom overcame his fear enough to lead one or two of the quieter horses along. But Jack was the star. It seemed he had only to lay his hand on the beasts and whisper in their ears for them to calm down immediately. It was as if he had some special link with the beasts that made them quiet as soon as he touched them. They worked out a system where Jack first soothed each animal and then one of the other children led the beasts to where the groom was ready to drive them to the stables. When the horses were unloaded, they went along with the groom, with Jack circling round the beasts, rather like a sheepdog, thought Kai. Though, unlike a sheepdog, he did not yap or nip, just laid his hands on the horses that looked restive and spoke calmly and encouragingly to them.
‘Where did you learn to do that?’ Kai asked him.
He shrugged. ‘Nowhere. It just comes to me. Maybe myfather was a horse thief!’
‘Or a knight,’ said Kai.
Jack snorted. ‘Say that to Roland and see how he reacts!’
‘This fine herd is going to market on Michealmas, later in the month,’ said the groom. ‘They should fetch good prices.’
Jack was looking longingly at an especially beautiful foal, pure black with a white splash on his forehead. Kai caught his eye and he grinned ruefully. Neither of them would ever have the money to buy such a fine beast.
When they got to the stables, the groom pulled out his purse and doled out a halfpenny to be shared by Kai and a by now rather pale Tom. To Jack, he gave a penny – a whole day’s pay!
‘You saved me a muckle of time and trouble, lad,’ he said. ‘And if you should ever want to work with horses, you come see me and I’ll have a job for you. You have a gift with them that not many have. Not even myself.’
Jack smiled and tossed the penny in the air.
Dinny
ut as the autumn drew on, the children had less time to explore. There were days after the service when Brother Albert would ask one or other of the children to help him in his works of charity around the city, tending the sick and the poor. The canons of the cathedral, unlike many monks, had the right to leave the monastery, and
Jack was especially excited the day a shipload of thoroughbred horses was unloaded. They went wild coming off the boat, kicking and snorting and trying their best to run away. Jack ran down from his perch on the dock and offered to hold some for the groom, who was cursing soundly as a flying hoof narrowly missed his head.
‘You’m just be making them worse, I’d say,’ he said in a thick Bristol accent. ‘But if you’m can hold onto any, and help me get them to the stables in Cook Street, I’ll give thee a farthing.’
At this, Kai slid down the bank and went to help Jack. A farthing was not to be sniffed at. Tom sat for a moment. Hewas more nervous around horses than he would ever admit to Jack and Kai. In fact, he hated being near them. He had been kicked by one of the mill horses when he was very small, and he had never forgotten the pain and the shock, and the sight of the horse’s red, rolling eyes. He still had nightmares about it. Even now sometimes, after he had been running or jumping, the scar on his knee throbbed and he was reminded yet again of that horrible moment. But he did not want to be left behind. He drew a breath and followed them down.
Kai was used to horses, and did her best to help, and Tom overcame his fear enough to lead one or two of the quieter horses along. But Jack was the star. It seemed he had only to lay his hand on the beasts and whisper in their ears for them to calm down immediately. It was as if he had some special link with the beasts that made them quiet as soon as he touched them. They worked out a system where Jack first soothed each animal and then one of the other children led the beasts to where the groom was ready to drive them to the stables. When the horses were unloaded, they went along with the groom, with Jack circling round the beasts, rather like a sheepdog, thought Kai. Though, unlike a sheepdog, he did not yap or nip, just laid his hands on the horses that looked restive and spoke calmly and encouragingly to them.
‘Where did you learn to do that?’ Kai asked him.
He shrugged. ‘Nowhere. It just comes to me. Maybe myfather was a horse thief!’
‘Or a knight,’ said Kai.
Jack snorted. ‘Say that to Roland and see how he reacts!’
‘This fine herd is going to market on Michealmas, later in the month,’ said the groom. ‘They should fetch good prices.’
Jack was looking longingly at an especially beautiful foal, pure black with a white splash on his forehead. Kai caught his eye and he grinned ruefully. Neither of them would ever have the money to buy such a fine beast.
When they got to the stables, the groom pulled out his purse and doled out a halfpenny to be shared by Kai and a by now rather pale Tom. To Jack, he gave a penny – a whole day’s pay!
‘You saved me a muckle of time and trouble, lad,’ he said. ‘And if you should ever want to work with horses, you come see me and I’ll have a job for you. You have a gift with them that not many have. Not even myself.’
Jack smiled and tossed the penny in the air.
Dinny
ut as the autumn drew on, the children had less time to explore. There were days after the service when Brother Albert would ask one or other of the children to help him in his works of charity around the city, tending the sick and the poor. The canons of the cathedral, unlike many monks, had the right to leave the monastery, and
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