The adventures of Pony Dexter by Harriet A. Cheever
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"The adventures of Pony Dexter" by Harriet A. Cheever is a children's novel written in the early 20th century. Narrated by a spirited Welsh-bred pony, it traces his encounters with kindness and cruelty—racing glory, livery-stable fun, a dangerous abduction, and steadfast friendship. Themes of empathy for animals and responsible ownership run through his adventures. Key figures include the impulsive Perley Bolt, the compassionate boy Archie, the horseman Mr. Van Vim, and the
gentle Gladys Fleming. The opening of the story follows a bay pony who wins a local trot, then loses a rematch after tripping, provoking harsh treatment from his owner Perley. Lamed and neglected, he is briefly comforted by a kind lad, Archie, before Perley’s father sells him to Mr. Van Vim’s livery, where he recovers, joins hunts, and enjoys lively stable life. One night a gipsy named Rondo steals him, paints him black, renames him Don, and trains him as a trick pony while underfeeding and overworking him. When the troupe readies for winter quarters, Archie—hired temporarily—suspects the truth, scrubs away the paint to confirm the pony’s identity, and engineers a daring escape, hiding overnight under leaves as Rondo searches. After a grueling trek and a brief daylight confrontation with the thief, Archie brings the pony safely back to Van Vim, where careful grooming restores his bay coat. Quiet plans are then laid for the pony to become a surprise wedding gift for Gladys, as he settles into a warm, well-kept stable. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Cheever, Harriet A. (Harriet Anna) |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Horne, Diantha W., 1879-1966 |
| Title | The adventures of Pony Dexter |
| Original Publication | Boston: Dana Estes & Company, 1911. |
| Credits | Susan E., Bob Taylor, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres |
| Subject | Animal welfare -- Juvenile fiction |
| Subject | Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile fiction |
| Subject | Ponies -- Juvenile fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78664 |
| Release Date | May 12, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 1761 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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