Emily Arnold McCully

A fictionalized account of Bill "Doc" Key, a former slave who became a veterinarian, trained his horse, Jim Key, to recognize letters and numbers and to perform in skits around the country, and moved the nation toward a belief in treating animals humanely. Includes an author's note.

Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are readily supplied by his opponent, whose motto seems to be the bigger and juicier the better!