cts enable them to appreciate.

[Illustration: ALEXANDER AND BUCEPHALUS.]

At any rate, Bucephalus was calmed and subdued by the presence of
Alexander. He allowed himself to be caressed. Alexander turned his
head in such a direction as to prevent his seeing his shadow. He
quietly and gently laid off a sort of cloak which he wore, and sprang
upon the horse's back. Then, instead of attempting to restrain him,
and worrying and checking him by useless efforts to hold him in, he
gave him the rein freely, and animated and encouraged him with his
voice, so that the horse flew across the plains at the top of his
speed, the king and the courtiers looking on, at first with fear and
trembling, but soon afterward with feelings of the greatest admiration
and pleasure. After the horse had satisfied himself with his run it
was easy to rein him in, and Alexander returned with him in safety to
the king. The courtiers overwhelmed him with their praises and
congratulations. Philip commended him very highly: he told him that he
deserved a larger kingdom than Macedon to govern.

Alexander's judgment of the true character of the horse proved to
be correct. He became very tractable and docile, yielding a ready
submission to his master in every thing. He would kneel upon his fore
legs at Alexander's command, in order that he might mount more easily.
Alexander retained him for a long time, and made him his favorite war
horse. A great many stories are related by the historians of those
days of his sagacity and his feats of war. Whenever he was equipped
for the field with his military trappings, he seemed to be highly
elated with pride and pleasure, and at such times he would not allow
any one but Alexander to mount him.

What became of him at last is not certainly known. There are two
accounts of his end. One is, that on a certain occasion Alexander got
carried too far into the midst of his enemies, on a battle field and
that, after fighting desperately for some time, Bucephalus made the
most extreme exertions to carry him away. He was severely wounded
again and again, and though his strength was nearly gone, he would not
stop, but pressed forward till he had carried his master away to a
place of safety, and that then he dropped down exhausted, and died. It
may be, however, that he did not actually die at this time, but slowly
recovered; for some historians relate that he lived to be thirty years
old--which is quite an old age for a horse--a