The Little Paint Pony
The two women struggled as they lifted the pony. The black and white pony that was stuck in the mud for a long while.
As he lay there stuck, the black and white pony thought he may never know the feeling of human touch again. The smell of green grass after a summer storm, or the warmth of the sun on his back. “How long have I been here?”, the little pony wondered.
The sense of being lifted up out of the mud was glorious. The black and white pony felt the warmth of the sun on his mud-caked back and the touch of human hands.
The women told him how beautiful he is and that he no longer needed to worry about being discarded, abandoned on a wind-swept plain. The black and white pony would once again experience movement and the joy of children riding in a saddle on his back.
They told him he was not going to be alone any more, because now he had them and twelve other ponies for company. He would be joining them soon, but first he needed some tender loving care.
The next thing he knew, warm water was trickling over his back and many hands washing his body. Gently and carefully the hands erased the caked mud from his body and hooves. Once he was dry, he was shiny clean and excited as the women told him how beautiful he is, over and over again.
He tried to whinny but nary a sound came out of his mouth. Though he felt it in his heart – the power of his joy and the love of the women. He beamed with pride.
Then a soft blanket was placed on his back. He heard the women say he was not big enough for one of their saddles, so they chose to place a blanket on him instead. They secured it to his body so it would not slip, or fall off. The women continued to prepare him in a gentle and kind way. He felt supple leather placed over his ears and muzzle and draped reins over his back. The hair of his tail and mane were combed and braided, a white feather attached to a strand of his braided mane and swept over to one side.
This completed his adornment.
He heard the squeals of excited children as he was gently led to his place among the other ponies. Once he was secured in the circle of ponies, he got giddy and a whinny rose up from his heart.
A small child was placed on his back, her tiny legs sticking straight out. The reins were placed in her hands, with her mama’s arm wrapped around her to hold her in place, on the back of the black and white pony. He was happy once again to take his place and experience the feel of a little one’s joy on his back.
And then, the carousel music started to play.