We arrived home from our trip to visit the squire's friends a few days later.
John was waiting at the stable to help James settle Ginger and me back into our stalls.
He was glad to hear that James had done well with the driving.
That meant James would soon be ready to go to his new job.
"I wonder who's going to take my job here," James said.
"It's already been decided," John told him.
"Little Joe Green will be coming in to start tomorrow."
"Little Joe!" James exclaimed. "But he's only a child!"
"He's fourteen and a half," John said.
"And he may be small, but he's quick and kindhearted and eager to learn.
That's why I've agreed to give him a chance for six weeks.
If he does well in that time, he'll get the job.
He's starting right away so you can help me teach him what to do."
The next day Little Joe arrived at the stable bright and early.
He was just as young and small as John and James had said.
And it was plain to see that he didn't know anything at all about working in a stable.
But he was ready and willing to learn everything he could.
He always had a cheerful expression on his face and a kind word for us horses.
He liked to whistle while he worked, and I enjoyed listening to his happy tunes.
Little Joe soon learned how to sweep the stable, to bring in hay and straw, and to clean the harness.
He was always quick to offer to help with anything that needed to be done, from cleaning out the stalls to polishing the carriage.
And he never complained, even when the work was hard or dull.
James seemed pleased with the new boy's progress.
After a while he decided it was time to teach him how to groom a horse.
"You're a little too short to do much good with Black Beauty or Ginger.
I'm afraid you can't even reach halfway up their sides," James said with a chuckle.
"I'll have to teach you on Merrylegs.
In fact I'm going to put you in charge of taking full care of Merrylegs from now on, with John keeping an eye on you, of course.
Merrylegs has always been a special favorite of mine, so you'd better do a good job."
"Oh, I will, sir!" Little Joe said eagerly. "Thank you, sir!"
At first Merrylegs wasn't very pleased about this new plan.
I heard him grumble more than once about being handled by a boy who knew nothing.
But Little Joe did his best to do everything right.
By the end of the second week, the pony was complaining much less.
He even told me he thought the boy might turn out okay after all!
At last the day arrived for James to leave for his new job.
Everyone was very sad to see him go.
Even James himself looked sad when he came to the stable for the last time.
"I'm excited about my new job, of course," he told John with a sigh.
"But I can't stop thinking about everything I'll be leaving behind here.
I'll miss you and the squire and everyone else here too.
Then there are the horses, and my good little Merrylegs—what will I do without them?"
"It's very hard on all of us to see you go, James," John told him.
"Especially on me. You've been such a help to me for the past few years.
So I don't blame you for being sad. In fact, I'd be disappointed if you weren't."
James smiled at that.
"Cheer up though," John went on.
"You're a fine worker, and you'll soon make friends at your new place."
"Thanks for everything," James said. "I'll miss you."
Then he walked around the stable and gave us all a few more pats and scratches.
A moment later he was gone.
We all missed him a lot over the next week or two, but no one missed him more than Merrylegs.
The pony pined after James so much that he stopped eating for a few days.
John decided the best way to cheer him up was to give him more exercise.
So the next few times he took me out, he brought Merrylegs along with us on a lead.
The little pony trotted and galloped along by my side, and that did the trick.
Before long Merrylegs was just as playful and cheerful as ever.