The story of how Percy met Ffoulkes
(the other one)
Percy and Marguerite was on the way to a London restaurant to have dinner. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and the birds were singing in the trees. But suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was disturbed by the cry of a horse. Percy turned to look across the street, and his gaze was caught by a man who was relentlessly beating up his horse, drawing cries of pain from the poor animal. He crossed the street in a few strides and went up to the man, and Marguerite followed him curiously, wondering what he was up to now.
"I would not do that if I were you" he said calmly.
"That is none of your business!" the man said and sneered at him.
"Oh, quite the contrary" he said.
In the next moment he had grabbed the whip and hit the man across his chest. The man swore and spat at him.
"What the hell do you think that you are doing?" he yelled.
"I am buying this horse from you."
"No, you are not. I need it."
"I do not think so" Percy said.
He picked up a number of golden coins from his pocket, and the man's eyes widened as he saw them.
"I take it that will be enough?"
"Yes, sir..." the man said and took off his hat and bowed his head, eager not to insult Percy any further and make him change his mind.
"Very well then" Percy said and took the reins of the horse. "So, now I have a horse" he said to Marguerite. "I shall call him Ffoulkes!"
Marguerite laughed.
"But I do not think that he looks like Andrew at all! The tail, to start with..."
"No, but I bet that he is just as stubborn. It is a he, is it not?"
"I think so."
"Well, it matters not. Ffoulkes it is."
"What are you going to do with it? You already have twenty horses."
"True... But I can always feed him grass and carrots."
"You are so kind" she said gently. "Most men would not care if they saw an innocent animal suffer."
"But I care" he said, his face serious. "I just cannot bear to see an innocent creature being tormented. It reminds me of too many times when I have been helpless myself. God put us on this earth to take care of our weaker fellow men."
"And our fellow horses?"
"Well... I do not recall reading that in the Bible, but I am sure that it is there somewhere."
"I am sure that it is" she said and laughed.
"I guess we have to find a place to put him for a while" he said. "I do not think that he will be allowed into the restaurant, and I do not think that he will appreciate the menu anyway."
Marguerite laughed again.
"You see? I told him that he is nothing like Andrew."