A young, homeless beggar boy in eighteenth-century England tells the tale of an extraordinary course of events. The down-on-his-luck lad is cold and hungry on the day a rider on a magnificent steed comes barreling toward him on the street. The man dismounts, hands the boy the reins, and offers him a golden guinea upon his return if the boy will watch the horse for awhile. The beautiful black mare draws attention, especially from a group of soldiers who are on the trail of Dick Turpin. Stories of the famous robber have made him the boy’s hero. Now, it seems, the horse the boy is holding may be Turpin’s Black Bess, and the soldiers expect the boy’s cooperation as they lie in wait for the owner’s return. Kate Thompson’s vividly told story has humor, tension, and a surprising twist as it comes to a close. Occasional black-and-white illustrations reflect the story’s lighthearted spirit. (Ages 7–10)

“Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I’ll give you a golden guinea” (11). The beggar boy was bewitched. And for a guttersnipe without shoes or bread, a golden guinea was a fortune. However, the ar rival of hard-riding soldiers who forcefully enlist him as bait to catch Dick Turpin—the Highwayman—causes our cold and hungry young hero great pangs of conscience. Should he warn Turpin? Escape with the horse, Black Bess? Or aid the king’s army? This is an artfully drawn metanarrative that affirms new readers’ intelligence and concludes with a wink of the eye at the storyteller’s clever conceit. 2009 Children’s Books Ireland (CBI) Judges Special Recognition Award. lmp

Originally pub lished by Bodley Head Great Britain, in 2008.

The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse's head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them into my hand.

"Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I'll give you a golden guinea."

A dark stranger leaves his magnificent horse in the care of a boy he's never met. As dusk falls, others offer to pay the boy handsomely for the animal. Then soldiers arrive, demanding to know where the horse's owner has gone.

Could the stranger be the notorious Dick Turpin, known for his daring holdups and amazing exploits? Is the horse the legendary Black Bess? And will the boy ever see the reward he's been promised?

There's mischief in the air, but it isn't entirely clear who's causing it.