charger that the Rajah had sent him was very powerful and spirited, and he felt sure that, even if he ever got on it, he should very soon tumble off; however, he did not dare to refuse it, for fear of offending the Rajah by not accepting his present. So he sent him back a message of dutiful thanks, and said to his wife, 'I cannot go on the pony now that the Rajah has sent me this fine horse, but how am I ever to ride it?'—'Oh, don't be frightened,' she answered, 'you've only got to get upon it, and I will tie you firmly on, so that you cannot tumble off, and if you start at night no one will see that you are tied on.'—'Very well,' he said. So that night his wife brought the horse that the Rajah had sent him to the door. 'Indeed,' said the Chattee-maker, 'I can never get into that saddle, it is so high up.'—'You must jump,' said his wife. Then he tried to jump several times, but each time he jumped he tumbled down again. 'I always forget when I am jumping,' said he, 'which way I ought to turn.'—'Your face must be towards the horse's head,' she answered. 'To be sure, of course,' he cried, and giving one great jump he jumped into the saddle, but with his face towards the horse's tail. 'This won't do at all,' said his wife as she helped him down again; 'try getting on without jumping.'—'I never can remember,' he continued, 'when I have got my left foot in the stirrup, what to do with my right foot, or where to put it.' 'That must go in the other stirrup,' she answered; 'let me help you.' So, after many trials, in which he tumbled down very often, for the horse was fresh and did not like standing still, the Chattee-maker got into the saddle; but no sooner had he got there than he cried, 'O wife, wife! tie me very firmly as quickly as possible, for I know I shall jump down if I can.' Then she fetched some strong rope and tied his feet firmly into the stirrups, and fastened one stirrup to the other, and put another rope round his waist, and another round his neck, and fastened them to the horse's body, and neck, and tail.
When the horse felt all these ropes about him he could not imagine what queer creature had got upon his back, and he began rearing, and kicking, and prancing, and at last set off full gallop, as fast as he could tear, right across country. 'Wife, wife,' cried the Chattee-maker, 'you forgot to tie my hands.'—'Never mind,' said she; 'hold on by the mane.' So he caught hold of the horse's mane as firmly as he could. Then away went horse, away went Chattee-maker, away, away, away, over hedges, over ditches, over rivers, over plains, away, away, like a flash of lightning, now this
