The old horse bit down on the man’s hand even harder. The man screamed even louder. “He won’t let go!” the
trader cried in pain. “Help me!”
Uncle moved in to help the trader. He grabbed the packhorse by its muzzle and tried to get the horse to open its mouth. The horse bit harder still, holding onto the man’s hand for dear life.
“Go! Go!” the old horse yelled in horse language. “I’ll keep the humans busy so you can get away!” With that said, the old packhorse kicked the trader square in the knee. “Ouch!” the trader yelped. “The fool horse kicked me!”
While the two men were struggling with the old packhorse, the little
pony seized the
opportunity that the old horse had given him.
He backed up toward the far end of the horse pen. Getting a running start, the pony headed straight for the other side of the pen. The pony’s heart was pounding hard inside his chest. His eyes were wide with fear. He had never jumped anything before! The little pony knew that he had to jump the fence, scared or not. This was his only chance to escape.
The pony galloped straight toward the high fence. At just the right moment, pony used all his strength and leaped high into the air. The little pony felt as if he were flying! As swift and true as a
warrior’s arrow, the pony sailed over the fence. His hooves cleared the top rail with ease.
As he came back down to the earth, the pony hit so hard against the ground that he almost stumbled. He righted himself and raced toward freedom. The pony’s hooves kicked up bits of earth, and his mane waved in the breeze like a banner. The little pony didn’t dare look back. He snorted a thank-you to the old horse and ran like the wind.
As soon as he thought that the pony was far enough away, the old
packhorse let go of the man’s hand. The old horse lowered his head and acted as gentle as a lamb. The trader rubbed his
sore knee and put his hand into his mouth. He pulled a dirty bandanna out of his pocket and wrapped it tightly around his wounded hand.
“That old nag nearly bit right through my hand!” he wailed. “I bet I’ll get the rabies for sure!”
The horse trader walked over to his
saddlebag and pulled out a rifle. Then he walked back over to the old
packhorse. With anger in his eyes, the trader aimed the rifle at the horse.
The old packhorse
lifted his head just in time to see the rifle barrel pointed straight at him. The horse began to shake with fear. The poor beast neighed loudly. The sound he made was a pitiful sound. It almost sounded as if the old horse was
begging for his life!
“Are you forgetting our deal?” Little Wolf’s uncle said to the trader. He put his hand firmly on the horse trader’s arm. “I agreed to buy that
packhorse. I will not pay you for a dead animal.”
Reluctantly, the trader put down his rifle. His greed got the best of his anger. “I guess you’re right,” the trader said grudgingly. “But I don’t want it coming back on me if you ain’t satisfied with him. And just you
remember, be careful around him. He bites!
Don’t say that I didn’t give you fair warning.”
“Don’t worry,” Uncle said, holding back
laughter. “I know that the horse bites.”
Meanwhile, the little pony continued to run for his life. His chest rose and fell and his breath was laboured as he ran faster and faster. The pony’s lungs felt as though they would burst. Flecks of foam were all around his mouth. The pony’s back and haunches were covered in a wet lather. The pony didn’t know where he was going; he just knew he had to get away.
Instinctively, the
little pony ran toward the mountains. Their peaks were so high that they seemed to touch the sky. The mountains were
covered in a mist that looked like smoke. Maybe I can hide in the smoke, the pony thought.
The little pony ran wildly through the forest. He dodged the bigger trees, but the small saplings hit his legs, cutting cruel red marks into them. Still the pony ran on.
The pony came to a rushing river. He plunged into the
cold water. Stumbling over
slippery rocks and wet boulders,
he waded across the river. Suddenly, the pony fell into a deep hole. Desperately, the little pony tried to swim out, but he could not fight the powerful current. The fierce river swept over the little pony, and he disappeared in its swirling depths.
Next Time: A Friend |
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