Horse for the Day

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Yesterday or today I’m not so sure now I was myself Jennie Adams or at least thought I was. It was in the morning it happened I was on my way out and feeling very unhappy about myself, I mean being me. When a strange old man came up to me he looked like a tramp wearing an old dirty rain coat, on his head he was wearing what looked like a cow-boy hat. He was charming enough but there was a strangeness about him that scared me slightly. He asked me the strangest of strange questions.2

“If you could choose and be any animal you want to be what would it be?” 3

Well! You can imagine what I thought what a crack pot but I stood there looking at him opening and closing my mouth like a gold fish and wasn’t sure whether to answer his questions or tell him to get lost or I’d call the police.4

“Please humour me" he said quietly and bowing in an old fashioned way. 5

So I smiled and tried to answer his question. “Um I suppose if I could choose the animal I would like to be well then I guess it would have to be the horse.” He bowed to me once more turned around and walked away never said another word.6

After he left I thought no more about it I went on out was meeting my friend Clair we were going swimming as it was a hot sunny day. I told Clair about the strange man who was well spoken and the question he had asked. She told me that I ought to call the police what fore I asked.7

“He might be a mass murderer or something.” I laughed8

“I doubt it very much Clair he seemed harmless enough.”9

“That might be so Jennie but why take the chance.”10

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We went swimming and then we met up with her parents and we all went shopping. We didn’t talk about the strange man after that.13

That night I had the best nights sleep in quite awhile but this morning waking up I found that I was no longer in my pink bed-room I was in a large green field I could smell the perfume of the flowers there running through the field was a river crystal clear water sun rays on the water causing a iridescent colours.14

I felt very strange I found that I no longer had any hands or arms. And I was standing on all fours Mr Tibbs the farmer came by in his hand he had some lumps of sugar. I tried to talk to him but no words came out, Mr Tibbs smiled “Hello old girl, how are you this morning?” And then he gave me a pat on my head Mr Tibbs turned around to walk away again I tried to speak but I made the sound of a horse. I went up to the rivers edge and what a shock, me, Jennie Adams was no longer there. Staring back at me was a dappled coloured horse. I lifted up one of my hooves just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I thought to myself (Wow what has happened am I still asleep I must be dreaming.) I was very confused how I became a horse I don’t really now maybe I was always a horse. And being a human Jennie Adams was just a dream I couldn’t make up my mind.15

I ran around the field like the wind it was a great feeling to feel the wind in your face. I didn’t realise just how good it would feel to be a horse to have the wind blow in your face. I must have galloped around that field a thousand times and each time I went around the more I thought Jennie Adams was just a dream. 16

Mr Tibbs ran the local riding school when he next visited he lead me out of the field and into the farm-yard and the riding school. I recognized some of the kids there or at least Jennie Adams recognized them. Little Amy she was a quiet kid and Dave the class bully. Mr Tibbs and his wife left and went back into the stables to fetch something for the whole group. Dave the class bully got hold of a riding whip and hit me on my back. 17

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I reared up almost knocking Dave onto the floor. He was crawling backward on his backside to get away from my hooves as they came crashing down. Mr Tibbs and his wife came running out of the stables shock was on Mrs Tibbs face. She was the opposite of Mr Tibbs he was tall and thin with a long face and a pointed nose. Mrs Tibbs was a short plump lady with long straight pearl grey hair tied into a ponytail. Mr Tibbs pulled Dave away from my hooves and tried to calm me. At first he couldn’t understand why I had reacted the way that I had but then he saw my injuries and how bad they were.19

Deep welts marked the whole of my back they were still bleeding; the pain I was feeling is indescribable so much so I wouldn’t allow Mr Tibbs to come near me. Now I no longer wanted to be a horse all I wanted now was to be human once again to be simply Jennie Adams just an ordinary girl. Mr Tibbs tried soothing me by talking nonsense still I wouldn’t allow him near in my mind I was screaming for him to help to leave me alone I was so very confused and hurt a lot. But eventually he did calm me down an applied ointment to my injuries. Dave the class bully was taken off by the police and the other kids that had watched and doe nothing went home. I tried to tell Mr Tibbs that I wasn’t really a horse but was a human I couldn’t make him understand. 20

It was late that evening when he walked in the same man who had asked me the question, if I could choose what kind of animal would I be. He smiled at me sadly he healed me with the wave of his hand. I woke up the next morning and I was me again. I have never been so happy to be me just plain me Jennie Adams. I jumped out of my bed and danced around my bed-room and all the way down stairs like a crazy person.21

Mum looked up “Good morning Jennie I see you slept well last night. Ready for your first day back at school”22

I grinned,do you know I was really happy just to be me plain old me Jennie Addams. Since that day I have never wished or wanted to be anyone but me. As for that strange man he has never been back since. 23