Dear Jessica, Halley and Rachael,
I want to tell you a story about horses. I hope you
will like the story. It is very exciting and it will show you something
about grownups who play Wizards of America.
Run Like The Wind
Once upon a time, far, far away, there was a green
and beautiful country. In that country were wide-open spaces of lovely
green grass, waving in warm breezes under soft blue skies. Every
afternoon there were showers to water the vast plains. In this country
lived a race of horses who were strong and healthy, with shiny coats and
clear eyes. They had all they needed to be happy.
One afternoon a young filly, which is a girl horse,
was running like the wind through the fields of grass. Her four little
hooves pounded out a steady rhythm on the ground. The air whistled past
her ears. Her mane stretched out behind her as she dashed uphill and
then down the other side. She ran and ran as free as the breeze, just
bursting with the joy of being alive!
Then Jessita, for that was her name, came to the top
of a hill. Just a little out of breath, she stopped to rest. She had
never been this far from her home pastures before. From where she stood,
she could see the river and a trail down below. On the trail were five
horses. But they looked very strange, for on their backs they carried
large bundles. And they looked very sad. Their heads were held low as
they walked along dragging their hooves.
The first horse's bundle was not like the others. It
was taller and looked a little like a tree trunk. Wait! It wasn't a
bundle at all. It was alive! The strange creature had a tiny head with
no snout at all and two eyes right next to each other. How ugly! What
was it doing on top of that horse? She stamped the ground nervously with
her hoofs and whinnied to the horses. Six heads came up and six pairs of
eyes spotted her high above them. The strange creature became very
excited. He started his horse running up the hill. One of the other
horses called out, "Run! Run as fast as you can and as far as you can!
Don't look back!"
Well, that seemed like very sound advice. Jessita
spun around and in a flash she was running at top speed. She streaked
homeward. She ran and ran and ran until she thought her lungs would
burst.
Finally Jessita saw her family grazing peacefully off
in the distance. The sight of them gave her new energy. In just a few
more minutes she closed the distance between them. Oh, yes! There was
Mom and Dad and her sisters, Hallita and Rachelita! In her excitement,
Jessita was going too fast. She put all her feet down and leaned way
back. Too late! She slid right into Hallita and they both went tumbling
to the ground.
Her mother, Deborita, exclaimed, "My word, Jessita,
you must be more careful. Whatever has gotten into you!"
But Jessita was too out of breath to answer. She
simply struggled to her feet still frightened and a little shaken. She
looked back the way she had come. With relief she saw no sign of the
flat-faced creature riding a horse. Her father trotted over to her side.
"What is it Jessita dearest, you seem very
frightened," said Ronaldo. She told him the whole story. Her father
didn't say a word for a long time. He just stared off into the blue sky
thoughtfully. Then he began to explain.
"Jessita, long before you were born, your mother and
I and all our families lived many weeks travel from here. It was a
beautiful country just like this one. We were all very happy. Then the
wizards came. The creature you saw riding on the horse was one of them.
They are also called men. They captured all the horses and made slaves
of them. That's why the horses you saw were carrying bundles. Only your
mother and I managed to remain free. But we could do nothing to help. So
we went far away. We hoped the wizards would never be able to find us.
But now they have."
"Oh, Papa, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Now the
wizards know we are here. What can we do?" asked Jessita tearfully. "You
mustn't blame yourself, little one. I suppose it was bound to happen
someday," he said comfortingly. "We must leave this place. It is
dangerous to stay here now. We will all graze this afternoon, sleep
tonight, and then set out in the morning at first light. We must find a
new country."
It was a beautiful sunset, the clouds all gold and
magenta with rays of sunlight beaming through. The moon was a silver
crescent. Before long, the younger girls were settled down and fast
asleep. But Jessita still lay awake. She could hear her parents talking
in whispers about where to go. Her mother said the wizards would never
stop until all horses were made slaves. Her father said they had to try.
Finally, Jessita fell into a fitful sleep.
In her dreams she was being chased by wizards. She
tried to run but could not. It felt like she was in deep mud. Just
before they caught her, she woke with a start. It was very dark and very
still, too still. She could not hear the normal sounds of the night
animals. Jessita slowly stood up. Her ears turned forward and back
trying to detect a mouse or a cricket. Nothing. An icy chill stabbed her
heart. Something was very wrong. She whinnied softly to her parents but,
being sound asleep, they didn't answer.
Jessita moved forward a few steps. Her legs felt like
wood. She lowered her head and turned it from side to side trying to see
in the wall of darkness. She sniffed the cool air. There was a strange
odor. She took a few more cautious steps forward and stopped, very
tense. The muscles in her legs trembled, her lips quivered slightly. She
lowered her head, then quickly brought it back up. Leaning far forward
she slowly stretched her neck out and sniffed again. "Sniff, Sniff,
Sniff."
Then, a terrible scream split the night air. Oh, no!
A net had been thrown over her! Rough hands were dragging her to the
ground. The scream was her own! She bucked and struggled. But they had
her. The commotion had roused the family. She heard her father yell,
"Run, everyone run!"
Torches were lit. Jessita was pressed to the ground,
trapped by the weight of many bodies. Now in the flickering light, she
could see the wizards as they tied fetters on her feet and a rope around
her neck. She was loaded into a cart. A voice said, "The others got
away, but we'll get them another time. Let's take this one back to the
corral."
Far off in the distance, Jessita's family stopped to
catch their breath. It was a wonder they hadn't gotten separated in the
dark. Deborita wanted to go back, but Ronaldo thought they would only
end up being captured themselves. Besides, they must think of their two
little girls.
"What about your older brother?" asked Deborita.
"Couldn't he help?" "You mean Roberto? He was captured and found a way
to escape, it's true. Stories are told that he now frees other horses.
But he lives in the hills in our old country. It may take some time to
find him." "Oh, Ronaldo, you must try, you must!"
And so Ronaldo set out that very day for the old
country after finding a hidden valley for his little family. By
traveling fast during the day and grazing at night, he made good time.
He avoided the main trails where he was likely to see wizards. In only
twelve days he found Roberto. They were very glad to see one another.
Roberto was living with a small herd of former slave horses who had
freed themselves. They spent most of their time trying to free the
others.
"But," Roberto said, "a strange thing has happened.
The wizards have gotten control of the minds of horses. Horses that were
once as free as the wind are now afraid to live outside of corrals. They
have been taught to believe it is very dangerous on the open plains. The
wizards have convinced them they will starve unless someone feeds them.
When we open the gates to set them free, none of them will come out!
They believe that horses are only free in corrals. They tell us that we
better get back in or we'll be sorry. No amount of reason will change
their minds. So horses carry heavy loads and give rides to wizards.
Slaves do all the work and wizards get all the benefit. We must hurry to
set Jessita free before they capture her mind as well as her body."
On the way back, Roberto showed his brother how to
open corral gates, but just as he had said, none of the horses would
come out. Ronaldo could not quite get the knack of gate opening so he
was very happy Roberto had agreed to come with him. He couldn't help but
wonder, would Jessita refuse to come out, too?
Back at the corral Jessita was unloaded. The sun was
up and it was a lovely morning. But Jessita was far too lonely and
frightened to notice. One of the men said, "Get her started in horse
school right away. We want to teach her to give allegiance to wizards.
We want her to do everything we tell her. We must get control of her
mind. Horses are too big and strong for us to control their bodies
alone."
Jessita missed her Mom and Dad very much. That night
she cried herself to sleep. The next morning she started school with
several other young horses. But they were not allowed to talk to one
another. One of the wizards was their teacher. He said, "All of you
raise your right hoof. Now say 'I pledge allegiance to the wizards of
this green and beautiful country.'" The other horses did it right away.
Jessita didn't want to do it. It seemed silly. Then the man said, "All
horses count to three." And all horses counted to three. Except Jessita.
That's how it went all morning. Jessita was a refusenik.
At noon the young horses ate lunch. Afterwards, they
walked into a field to romp. Jessita didn't know any of these horses so
she just stood to one side. Soon a couple of horses came over to her.
"You're new here aren't you?" asked one. "Yes," she answered. "Well, we
don't like know-it-alls who won't do what they're told!" said the other.
"You'll find none of the horses will be your friend if you won't obey
the wizards because they feed us and take care of us," said the first.
"The wizards have set you free and you're being very ungrateful." And
they trotted off. Sure enough, none of the horses asked her to play.
Jessita was lonely and wanted the others to like her
so badly. So after lunch she started doing what she was told. In a few
days she was just like all the other slave horses. Three weeks slowly
passed.
Ronaldo and Roberto at last arrived at the corral
where Jessita was being held. They waited until all the wizards had left
for the night. In the twilight Roberto lifted the latch on the gate and
it swung open. Ronaldo spotted Jessita.
"Jessita!" he called, "Jessita, it is your
Papa-dearest and your Uncle, Roberto. We have come to take you home!"
"Father, Father, it is so good to see you!" she said. "But I dare not
leave the corral. It is far too dangerous in the open and there is
nothing to eat. These horses are my friends. Besides, I've come to enjoy
being free and I have very important work to do here." The other slaves
muttered their agreement. They all crowded together, as far as possible
from the gate.
"You must help her get control of her own mind
again." said Roberto. "You must help her see that the lies of the
wizards are only meant to make a willing slave of her." "I will try,"
said Ronaldo.
Ronaldo trotted over to Jessita. He nuzzled her
gently with his soft nose. "Little one, I want to help you. Those men
have gotten control of your thoughts. They have made you give allegiance
to them. They have made you believe things that are not true. Think
back. Can't you remember when you and I and your mother and sisters
lived happily on the plains? We were free. We were safe. We had plenty
to eat. You loved to run like the wind. You can't do that in a corral or
while carrying a heavy load."
Jessita listened and remembered. She was living in a
different world now, a fantasy world created in her head by the men who
captured her. They had forced her to go to many classes and hear the
same words over and over again until she could think of nothing else.
"You must do whatever men tell you. You must obey
the wizards. The wizards will protect you from a dangerous world. The
wizards will feed you. The wizards will set you free! You are helpless
without the wizards."
Over and over these things were drummed into her
head. Now she believed. Her belief held her captive better than any
corral or rope ever could. Her father's words were calling up another
world she dimly remembered. The real world. It was like a battle going
on in her mind. The lies of men against the truth her father was telling
her.
Run like the wind. Yes, she did remember that. Hoofs
pounding the ground in time with all nature. Mane waving in the breeze.
Breath coming in great gulps. Dashing across the landscape, the feel of
grass rushing by. Yes, she did love to run. But it seemed so long ago,
like a fairy tale. "Run like the wind, Jessita. Come with us and we'll
run like the wind!" her father said.
His voice seemed to be coming from the end of a long
tunnel, but it was enough. Jessita took a step forward and then another.
"She has to get her mind free herself." said Roberto, "No one else can
do it for her. She must want it more than anything else." Roberto
notices how thin she is and the marks left on her back from heavy
straps.
The other horses called to her, "Jessita, don't be
crazy! Don't leave, it's nice and safe here!" She hesitated a moment,
uncertain; then she moved toward the gate slowly with her head held low.
Jessita was outside the gate without a wizard's
permission for the first time since she was captured. It felt so odd, so
strange. Her father and uncle broke into a trot. Jessita followed
mechanically. She was on the way back. Her body was free again but it
would be some time before her thoughts would be her own - some time
before the wizard's lies would stop echoing in her mind.
Roberto told his brother that the wizard's power was
broken once a horse got his mind free of their control. "I don't know
how I ever woke up, but I did." explained Roberto. "After that, it was
just a matter of watching how they closed the latch. I thank God, who
made this green and beautiful world, that I have control of my own
thoughts. Jessita is safe now."
Her mother and sisters were so very happy to see her,
and she them. She knew the wizards couldn't trick her twice. No one
should ever control another's mind. It is a very bad thing. Soon Jessita
would be happy again and running like the wind. When that happened, she
wanted to find a way to set other horses free. There had to be a way,
there just had to be. . .
