<p><strong>Rubin and the lost horse of Merrithorpe&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong></p><p>This story is about an orphan boy called Rubin, who in his wanderings meets a runaway horse.<br />
Before galloping away, its prancing and posturing suggests that the horse is trying to convey a message.</p><p>Then Rubin finds the first and soon after, the second of four curiously numbered golden horseshoes lying on the ground.<br />
The crone (a wise woman) sees the boy picking up the first shoe. She explains that the horse had been acquired by the Grand Duke of Merrithorpe from a horse coper and it won&rsquo;t stay with him because he doesn&rsquo;t know its name.<br />
From then on Rubin&rsquo;s quest is to discover its name and return the horse.<br />
In Merrithorpe village Rubin meets a signwriter, later becoming his apprentice.<br />
He finds the third horseshoe on the village green.<br />
He is taught his alphabet, numbers and MATH-ER-MAGICS at a Dame school.&nbsp; (The Dame is the second wise woman).<br />
He meets the smith who made the golden horseshoes and a tailor who makes him a suit,<br />
A third wise woman, a clairvoyant who can translate horse language is consulted.<br />
The translated horse message is a riddle which can solve the horse&rsquo;s name. Rubin sets out on an exciting adventure to the Land-of-Un where he recovers the horse.</p><p>Chased by the unscrupulous horse coper and his men, the effort brings both horse and boy close to death as they emerge from a perimeter hedge of poisonous thorns. There, the combined efforts of the crone and the clairvoyant (who provides an appropriate riddle for the crone to solve), revive both horse and boy.</p><p>Rubin returns the named horse to the Grand Duke but decides to keep the three horseshoes until he finds the fourth. He is given a final riddle by the Clairvoyant and this leads him to a girl who keeps chicken, the fourth horseshoe, and of course to a happy conclusion for all concerned (except the horse coper).</p>