A Horse's Tale is a 1906 novel written by American author Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), written partially in the voice of Soldier Boy, who is Buffalo Bill's favorite horse, at a fictional frontier outpost with the U.S. 7th Cavalry.
Background
Harper's Magazine originally published the story in two installments in August and September 1906.[2] Clemens wrote the story after receiving a request from actress Minnie Maddern Fiske to assist in her drive against bullfighting.[2] Harper's published the story as a 153-page book in October 1907.[2]
Clemens's daughter Susy Clemens, who died in 1896 at age 24 of spinal meningitis, is understood to be the inspiration for lead character Cathy Alison.[2][3] When Clemens provided the story to Harper's, he included a photograph of Susy for the illustrator to use for Cathy.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Facsimile of the first edition
- ^ a b c d e Rasmussen, R. Kent. Critical Companion to Mark Twain: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, p. 169-74 (Facts on File, 2d ed. 2007) (ISBN 978-0816053988)
- ^ (April 21, 2010). Mark Twain manuscript reveals author's pain at losing his daughter, The Guardian
External links
- A Horse's Tale at Project Gutenberg
A Horse's Tale public domain audiobook at LibriVox