In this classic 19th Century animal tale, Black Beauty is the riches-to-rags story of a black colt that's born into wealth and comfort, spends his middle years as a gentleman's carriage horse, only to end up as an overworked and broken-down cab horse with a cruel master. Young readers will relate to much in this story, even a century and a half after its publication, and the horse-human relationships in the book provide valuable lessons for human-to-human relationships as well. Black Beauty was a resounding success from its first publication, and was quickly adopted by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and used to improve the conditions of horses everywhere.