Pegasus
(Folk tale)


“Wake up!” Yelled my dad “are you going to lay there like a dead pancake all morning?” “No dad” I said as I got up from my blanket caked bed. “Well hurry up girl, and get ready for some hard work.”
“We have some cattle to bring in, and it’s already blazing fire outside!”
I finally shut my dad out the door and started to get dressed and plan my day.
Later I was at the doors of the big red and white barn, that was in the middle of our 11 acre Australian property. I slowly opened one of the big doors, as I looked in, ten different colored horse heads were peaking over there half wooden stall doors. As I started to walk up the isle of the barn, each little nicker that passed made my spine tingle and the wonderful smells made my knees weak. Suddenly my dad burst in saying, “you’re not ready yet?”, “dad” I said “I just got in here!”
“Well hurry up now.” He said as he left and disappeared though the big doors.
I went and got Shasta’s halter, then hurried back to his stall to get him and start our long hard day.
I walked into the big brown and white horses stall, I stroked him as he was busy searching though my jacket pockets looking for a little lump of sugar or a carrot. I hurried and slipped the light blue halter over his head, and then I led him out to go get tacked up. It took at least fifteen minutes but it seemed like five, soon later Shasta and I found ourselves herding up the cattle. As my dad yelled instructions to me, I thought that I was the only one doing all the work until my dad finally said that I could have a break for doing such a good job. I was so excited that I did not even notice that Shasta and I were flying across the grassy green field. When suddenly, something caught my eye, It looked to me as a blur that was blue and white.
When suddenly Shasta came to a nasty halt which made me fly against the horn of the smooth saddle. I looked over my shoulder again to get a better look and I saw it. It was a beautiful white horse with a flowing blue mane and tale, also with powerful wings to fly. Shasta and I were stepping closer till I saw that the horse was stuck in some sort of a gooey nasty substance. The stuff was green and looked like grandma’s left over fruit salad, without the fruit in it.
Luckily I had a rope on the horn of the saddle. I got it off and was ready to rope the Pegasus but it started to flap its wings and try to fly. The Pegasus reared up so much that it fell over on its back and looked as if it had broken a wing while doing it. I worked quickly to try to free the horse but it kept struggling and I knew the horse would not give up, so I through my rope to lasso the horse. I quickly wrapped the rope around the horn and had Shasta start to pull.
All of the sudden the Pegasus was jumping up and jumped right out of the gooey mess. It startled Shasta and he jumped out from under me.
I fell to the ground and the big white horse reared up at me, trying to fly but came back down.
I felt so bad for the poor horse; I was thinking that it must have a broken wing. After I had the rope over the Pegasus and into a rope halter I hopped back on Shasta, and we headed back home with the Pegasus close behind on the rope. We got back to the ranch and I led the white horse into the big barn, “What in the tar nation!” my dad at me yelled when he saw the white horse in my path. “What is this?” He asked “It’s my new Pegasus named…Bosco!” I said “Taylor!” my dad was going red in the face now.
“But dad!” I yelled, “He has a broken wing and I can fix it if only he can stay for a little while longer.” I looked at him with a wary face. “Well I guess, but we tell no one of this!” I nodded.
The next morning I was so excited that I did not even stop to get breakfast. I ran outside to see what had actually happened yesterday.
As I got to the barn I opened the doors remembering what happened the day before.
I finally reached Bosco’s stall and saw him on the ground sleeping, I woke him and stood him up so that I could examine his wing.
“Yep, it’s broken alright.” But maybe I will ride you till it gets better I thought. So, that’s what I did. I rode him every day until finally he seemed to be feeling better when he was flying in the round pen.
I thought that today was my second day to ride him and do a lot more but not just ride him FLY him! I got him out of his stall on the warm Saturday afternoon and we did what I planned to do. But we did more than that, we were flying over the barn and through the forest of ever greens. We also went to the clouds. I was afraid that when we landed that we were going to fall straight though the cloud but no! We stayed on top like it was safe ground. When we did go back to the safe ground of my ranch we were able to land without any problems. That night when I was laying in bed I dreamed of something terrible. Group of evil people came to take away my beloved Bosco. When I woke up at 4:00a.m., I woke up crying it was so frightened.
Later in the morning I was terrified and ran straight to the barn to see Bosco.
When I saw that he was happily snoozing in his box stall I had a sigh of relief come over me. I slowly walked back to the house, as I walked in my dad was standing there, And said, “He needs to go and fly and live on his own now Taylor.” He said, as I felt the smooth feel of tears running down my face I also felt a rush of joy at the same time.
“Yes, I know dad… its just hard for me.” “Yes it is, but it is the right thing to do at this time.” My dad and I walked out to the barn after I had eaten my breakfast. I hugged the big white horse that was standing next to me waiting to go free when I whispered to him, “ you will always be with me and you can come and visit anytime you feel!” but the horse just kept his ears perked and his nose high. “Well don’t go getting your self into trouble now, you big handsome horse you!”
As I let the halter slide off his face he started to gallop. But then he stopped and gave another glance to me as if to say “thank you”. I just smiled as I watched the horse fly away, while my dad and I started to walk back to the house.

THE END