During the wars, a soldier looked after his horse with the greatest care. He gave it the best oats to eat and the clearest water to drink. He rubbed it down when it got wet and covered it with a warm blanket on cold winter nights. As a result, the horse was strong and swift and carried its master safely out of the dangers of war.
When peace came, however, the soldier changed. He put the horse out in a field full of thistles and gave it only a little mouldy hay to eat. The stable was a broken-down hut with a leaking roof and a floor made of mud; the only water was in a ditch under the hedge. During the day the soldier made the horse work hard on his farm, carrying loads of wood and pulling heavy wagons.
After some time war broke out again. The soldier took out his heavy breastplate and boots, strapped on his pistols and helmet; and went to the field to catch his horse, hastily brushing the thistles from its coat, he laid the leather saddle on its back, pulled the bridle over its mangy ears and heaved himself up.
For a moment the horse stood motionless. Then gradually its thin legs began to bend and it sank slowly to the ground. The horse gave the soldier a look of reproach.
“Master,” it said, “you'll have to fight on foot this time. You have made me work like a mule and fed me like a goat. I cannot change back into a horse in an instant just because you want me to.”
打仗的时候，士兵照顾他的马匹可谓无微不至。给它吃最好的燕麦，喝最清的水，淋湿了就给它擦干身体，冬夜寒冷，就给它盖上暖和的毯子。所以，马长得很壮实，行动敏捷，总能驮着主人安全躲过战争的险境。
可是，到了和平时期，战士就变了。他把马扔在蓟草丛生的田里，只给它吃点儿发了霉的干草。马厩就是一个快要塌的棚子，棚顶还漏雨，脚下就是泥巴地，要喝水只能去树篱下的水沟里喝。白天，战士让马在自己的农场里拼命干活，不是背木头就是拉重重的货车。
过了一段时间，战争再次爆发。战士拿出了铠甲和战靴，佩戴起手枪和头盔，去田里找他的马。他匆忙刷掉马儿身上的蓟草，装上皮质马鞍，绕过长了疥癣的马耳朵给它套上笼头，然后上了马。
马儿先是一动不动，渐渐地，纤细的马腿开始打弯，马儿慢慢地倒在地上，一脸谴责地望着战士。
“主人，”马儿说，“这次你得走着去打仗了。干活儿的时候，你把我当骡子使唤，给我喂食的时候，却把我当山羊。不能因为这会儿你想让我变回战马，我就瞬间变成吧。”
-oat [əʊt] n. 燕麦
-mouldy [ˈməʊldɪ] adj. 发霉的
-breastplate [ˈbrestpleɪt] n. 胸甲；腹甲
-bridle [ˈbraɪdl] n. 缰绳
-mangy [ˈmeɪndʒɪ] adj. 疥癣的
“用兵一时”还需“养兵千日”。