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It had not occurred to him to turn the horse into cash, but the gipsy's suggestion seemed to smooth the way towards the two things he wanted so badly-ready money, and a solid breakfast.

'What?' he said, 'me sell this beautiful young horse of mine? O, no; it's out of the question.

Who's going to take the washing home to my customers every week? Besides, I'm too fond of him, and he simply dotes on me.'

'Try and love a donkey,' suggested the gipsy.

'Some people do.'

'You don't seem to see,' continued Toad, 'that this fine horse of mine is a cut above you altogether.

He's a blood horse, he is, partly; not the part you see, of course-another part.

And he's been a Prize Hackney, too, in his time-that was the time before you knew him, but you can still tell it on him at a glance, if you understand anything about horses.

No, it's not to be thought of for a moment.

All the same, how much might you be disposed to offer me for this beautiful young horse of mine?'

The gipsy looked the horse over, and then he looked Toad over with equal care, and looked at the horse again.

'Shillin' a leg,' he said briefly, and turned away, continuing to smoke and try to stare the wide world out of countenance.

'A shilling a leg?' cried Toad.

'If you please, I must take a little time to work that out, and see just what it comes to.'

He climbed down off his horse, and left it to graze, and sat down by the gipsy, and did sums on his fingers, and at last he said, 'A shilling a leg? Why, that comes to exactly four shillings, and no more.

O, no; I could not think of accepting four shillings for this beautiful young horse of mine.'

'Well,' said the gipsy, 'I'll tell you what I will do.

I'll make it five shillings, and that's three-and-sixpence more than the animal's worth.

And that's my last word.'

Then Toad sat and pondered long and deeply.

For he was hungry and quite penniless, and still some way-he knew not how far-from home, and enemies might still be looking for him.

To one in such a situation, five shillings may very well appear a large sum of money.

On the other hand, it did not seem very much to get for a horse.

But then, again, the horse hadn't cost him anything; so whatever he got was all clear profit.

At last he said firmly, 'Look here, gipsy! I tell you what we will do; and this is MY last word.

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