Chapter 1
I looked out onto the deserted field. Where was everyone, my mother, my father and the rest of the herd I’m a part of? I am too young to be on my own. Father went to see what was making the noise on the other side of the hill. Mum and the rest of the older horses went with him. The babies and yearlings were told to stay here and hide until Father and the herd came back.
The yearlings followed a little later. It’s been so long, I’m getting cramped and I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll call the other babies and we should follow too, but Mom told me to stay hidden. What do I do? I whinny, no answer. Wait; there is a quiet reply from behind me that sounds like Rosie.
“Rosie, where are you?” I whinny.
“Behind the willow,” the answer comes. “Where are you?”
“I’m over here under the bush” I whinny back. “What should we do? I’m hungry.”
“I don’t know. I’m hungry too,” she calls back, “come over here.”
From the other direction came another deeper whinny. It is Baby! He was named Baby because he was the youngest, born a month after the rest of us.
“Baby,” I whinnied, “come to the willow where Rosie is.” I got up unsteadily as I had been in one position for a long time. I felt as I did when I was born trying to walk for the first time. After a few steps I got better. Rosie and I were gangly, leggy 4-months old babies and Baby a month younger. We gather under the willow. Rosie, Baby and me, then Cheekie comes from under another bush. Four of us. Where were the others? Where were Shrimp, Baldy and Stockings?
I whinnied again. “Everyone come to the big willow.” We waited anxiously and only Star, Chief, and Blaze come from the different hiding places their mothers told them to stay. We all nicker and whinny. “Where is everyone? Where is Mum? I’m hungry.” Chief, Blaze and I tried to munch the sweet grass as we had seen the adults do.
“Come try this,” we say. “It isn’t bad. We can get used to it and there is a lake where the adults drank.” Blaze, Star, Rosie, Chief, and I cautiously tried to eat grass. Cheekie and Baby, try but their teeth are not ready to chew grass yet. They kind of gum it. When we think we have had enough of this stuff we go over to the lake and try to drink the cold water. Again Baby and Cheekie can’t quite get it. The sun is going down and we are tired and scared. We have never been alone in the dark before. We lie down together with Baby and Cheekie in the middle. They whimpered with hunger. We are all scared but do not let them know.
One adult came from the direction the herd had gone. We all got up and saw it is Old Molly, Baby’s mother. She was hurrying as fast as her tired old legs would carry her.
We all ran to her. “Where are the others,” I ask, “Where are our mothers and father?”
Old Molly answered wearily, “They are all gone. By the time I caught up, others of our kind with men on their backs had already captured the family. The men looked at me, and shook blankets and ropes, but I ran away. Where are the rest of the babies?”
During the time Molly told us what had happened, Baby and Cheekie try to nurse. She let them nurse for a few minutes while she explained. “We are all that is left of our family. I will do my best to care of you until the boys are old enough. If you only nurse for a short time I will try to give each of you a little nourishment”.
I told Molly, “We have tried to eat grass and drink water from the lake. The water is cold though.”
“You will have to get used to the cold water but I will give each of you a little warm milk.”
Baby and Cheekie have finished nursing and Molly asked the younger of us if they want to nurse. Star and Rosie take what is left. Molly promised Blaze, Chief and me that we will get some in the morning. We all lied down again and felt much better now that Molly was with us. She stood over us with Baby and Cheekie closest to her.
In the morning we looked for Shrimp, Boldy and Stockings. We found their bodies wished we hadn’t. Now we know there is only us with Molly to care for us.
