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Wildhorse |
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One day Wild Horse came upon Grandfather, who was struggling to haul heavy logs to where he was building a home. Wild Horse felt sorry for Grandfather and said, "Let me help you." With the two of them pulling they easily dragged the big logs through the forest. Grandfather said, "Thank you Wild Horse," and gave him a bag of grain as a gift for helping. Wild Horse helped Grandfather several times over the next few months. He pulled the plough over a new field, and he carried Grandmother to the doctor when she was sick. In exchange, Grandfather shared his grain and hay with Wild Horse. One day, in mid-winter, the snow was very deep. Grandfather had not seen Wild Horse for a few days, so he went out looking for him. He found Wild Horse trapped in the snow. Wild Horse was hurt and hungry animals were surrounding him, waiting for him to become too weak to fight them off. Grandfather chased the wild animals away before they could hurt his friend. Then Grandfather led Wild Horse back to his farm and into the warmth and security of the barn. Grandfather said to Wild Horse, "You have always offered to help me when I needed it. You are welcome to live in the meadow and spend the nights inside my barn where you will be safe." Wild Horse replied, "Thank you. It's cold, dark, and dangerous out in the wilderness at night. I would like to live with you and always be close by to help you with your work." In this way, Man and Wild Horse became partners, each giving something to the other and receiving something of value in return. Sample story from: Orca's Family and More Northwest Coast Stories Copyright 1997 Robert James Challenger ISBN
1-895811-39-2 |
There once was a
chestnut-brown stallion named Wild Horse. He was the
biggest and bravest of all the horses. He could run
faster than the wind and jump over rivers in one leap.
Wild Horse was free to do whatever he wanted.