[gmw]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

[...] I think his wit would come through despite the older technology in use. For instance, the comments about the horse and what it thinks are lovely.

Indeed, especially:

a perfectly ordinary horse, such as convergent evolution has produced in many of the places that life is to be found. They have always understood a great deal more than they let on. It is difficult to be sat on all day, every day, by some other creature, without forming an opinion about them.

On the other hand, it is perfectly possible to sit all day, every day, on top of another creature and not have the slightest thought about them whatsoever.