The Horse

After Rosebush and Grandma finished their errands, (they had gotten a lovely pink soccer ball for Grace's birthday, as well as a necklace with a princess dangling from a sparkly chain that came in a tiny plastic egg from a gum ball machine,) Grandma thought it would be a good idea to drive out to that farm where you can get apples, and pumpkins and, sometimes, fresh eggs. It was SUCH a beautiful day, the bread was rising at home, ready to be popped into the oven, and Rosebush was happy in the back seat with her new library books. Maybe Grandma could pick up the last of the the fall apples and get one more batch of applesauce in the freezer before winter set in. She drove out of town, down a small road past her friend Joelene's big porch, past the sun flower field, the flowers all gone this time of year, to the corner with a stop sign, where she turned onto a dirt road. Just before she reached the apple farm she noticed a hand written sign at the end of a long drive. "Free Horse," she read to herself...........free horse?............free HORES!?!?!?! Grandma brought the car to a SCREECHING stop. "What's the matter?" Rosebush asked, looking up from her book, grabbing at the pile beside her that was slipping onto the floor. "Oh!" said Grandma, "are you ok? Sorry about that." Grandma carefully backed up, and turned into the long driveway, with blackberry brambles thick on both sides. "Where are we going? This isn't the same apple farm we went to last time." "No. This isn't the apple farm. I just want to check something." There were lots of pot holes and turns in the drive, so Grandma had to go very slowly. Around one curve they passed an old, broken down, terribly rusty tracker. Around the next, a half burned building that looked like it used to be a chicken house. "This lane must be a mile long!" said Grandma. At that, they rounded another bend that opened to a house, yard, barn, and beyond, fields and fields of corn. Grandma stopped the car and wondered what to do next. She didn't have to think too long because a woman, 3 dogs and 5 children burst through the back door of the house. The dogs were barking, the children running, yelling, chasing each other and the dogs. The woman was drying her hands on her apron. Grandma got out and leaned into the car's back door to unbuckle Rosebush, as the woman walked over to them. She had a long, long red braid hanging over her shoulder, skin the color of almost done taffy, and a big, warm smile. "Hi," she said, "I'm Becky. Can I help you? Are you lost?" "No," said Grandma, " Hi, I'm Emma, nice to meet you. I don't think we're lost. I, eh......I saw your sign at the end of the drive....." "Oh! That!" laughed Becky. Susie wrote that out yesterday. We had a foal a few weeks ago. It's a beauty ! But we just can't afford to feed her. We've got all THESE little mouths," she spread her arms to include the children and dogs, "as well as the cow, the work horses, you know. Ed, my husband, was saying at breakfast yesterday that it was time to get rid of the foal. The kids couldn't stand the thought of it, so Susie wrote out that sign." "Get.......rid......of it?" Grandma asked. "Yeah, she's not going to amount to much. She's a little thing, and won't ever grow to pull the plow. Want to see her?" By this time Rosebush was off and running with the children and dogs and was no where to be seen. Grandma could hear her, though! She seemed to be showing Becky's children how to make dogs sing! Grandma could recognize Rosebush's high, mournful YOWWWWWWLLLLLLLL, which ALWAYS brought an answering YOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLL from any dog in the neighborhood. "Sure," said Grandma, following Becky toward the barn. Becky opened the big barn door and they walked into a wide hall way. There were animal stalls on both sides, and another large door at the other end opening to a pasture. The barn smelled of fresh straw and warmth and animals. It took Grandma a minute to adjust her eyes to the dim light, but soon she saw bales of hay in the loft, bags of oats over against the wall in an empty stall, reigns, and ropes, a saddle, buckets, shovels, a pitch fork, all lined up, hanging on hooks on the wall. "This is a beautiful barn," Grandma said. "Thanks," replied Becky, "it's our pride and joy - well! After the kids!" Ed and I put a lot of time into keeping it up. It is, after all, home for the animals that we depend on to feed us." And then Grandma looked more closely into the stalls. There were 2 huge draft horses, and, on the other side of the barn, a smaller quarter horse. "She's just for riding," Becky said. "the only one in here who doesn't earn her keep. Except that, like I tell Ed, joy counts." There was a cow, and down at the end, Grandma could hear a the cluck and scratch and flutter of chickens. The pigs, a huge sow with 4 teen-age sized piglets were in a far corner of their own, with a door to a small outdoor fenced area. "Where's the foal?" Grandma asked. "Down here," said Becky, we have to keep her away from her mama, now. It's time for her to stop nursing. I'll get her out so you can see her better." Grandma wondered out into the pasture as Becky clicked a lead line onto the little horse. Just as Becky and the horses entered the pasture all of the children (including Rosebush, but none of the dogs,) were over the fence and running toward them. The foal was beautiful. "What's her name?" breathed Rosebush. "April." declared Susie. "April?" asked Rosebush. "Yeah. That's when Mr. Dillard's stallion broke through the back fence and......well, that's when our Black Star got pregnant." "Oh." said Rosebush. Everyone stood, starring at the little horse. Even the boys were still. "Well!" said Grandma, breaking the silence, "we've got to get going. I was on my way to see if Abraham has any apples left. Come on, Rosebush, back in the car!" "Oh, Grandma, please, please, please please, please, please can I stay and play?" "No, dear heart, not this time. Maybe another time?" she said, looking questioningly at Becky "We'd LOVE to have you, any time, Rosebush. Susie gets tired of nothing but little brothers out here. Give us a call to be sure we're here - but we ALWAYS are! We're in the book Ed and Becky Zingly." "Zingly!" exclaimed Grandma, "are you related to....." and at that, Rosebush was sure the conversation would go on and on so she started to slip away with Susie when Grandma broke off. "Into the car, young Rose, we've got to pick up those apples and get home to bake the bread. It's probably risen to the ceiling by this time! Do YOU want to clean bread dough off of the ceiling fan?" "NO! NO! giggled Rosebush, running for the car. "What about the horse? Do you want the horse?" Becky asked, quietly. "Oh, Becky, I don't know what on earth we would DO with a horse. I do have a spare bedroom up stairs, but......" at that, Susie and the boys joined in, "do you have a nice big bath tub?" "the room will need a looooooooooog feeding trough, she gets reaaaaaaaaaaaally hungry!" "if she gets scared at night she will have to crawl in with you." "Oh, boy," said Grandma, shaking her head, "I'll call you, Becky."

As they drove back out the long, long bumpy lane, Rosebush waved out the window at the children chasing the car. "Good bye! Good bye! See you soon! OWE!" "what happened?" Grandma asked, looking in the rear view mirror. "I got scratched by that blackberry bush, said Rosebush. But I don't care ! I'm ROSEBUSH! And I have brambles, too!"