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The pretty good books of Susan Larson

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The Joinup Begins: Sam Changes his Mind

In this vignette from “Sam (a pastoral),” both Ruthie and Sam forgo their first impulses, namely to fight; they stop a moment and re-consider each other and decide to try a little trust.

 

‘Sam sauntered down the barn lane like an old moo cow, his head bobbing between Evvie and me, his ears waggling back and forth in time with his strides. My heart was thumping about three beats per waggle. I led Sam close to the stave bench, then stood on it and slowly looped the reins over his neck.

Sam tensed up and rolled a spooky-blue left eye around to glare at me. He whuffed out hard through his nose as I undid the halter and lifted the crownpiece of the bridle up in front of his face…

“Hmpf!” he said, and flung his nose straight up. How could he? After I had been so nice to him.

“Should I smack him?” I asked Evvie.

“I dunno, is be being bad?”

Was he? Or was he just expecting to get yarned around? We stood there another minute. The nose stayed up, the eye stared at me. Finally I took the bridle down and reached out nice and slow with my empty hand. I stroked Sam’s neck.

“Don’t worry, Sam.” My voice was shaking. “I won’t yarn you around, ever. Ever. I promise.”

That eye glowered down at me and I looked up at it. I kept stroking his neck. It was as hard as stone. Another long minute went by.

The eye closed. Sam smacked his lips and made a sound like a sigh. Did I hear him say,

“Tsk. Oh, all right, if it means that much to you.” Sam lowered his head. I held up the bridle again and he took the bit. I eased the crown piece over his ears, off side, near side. Sam sighed again while I did up the buckles; then the eye opened and looked at me. Not glaring…

Sam lifted his nose up close to my face. He sniffed my hair and my mouth and touched my cheek with his whiskers. I sighed and shut my eyes…’


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Horse Interviews Human

During the week of Dec 9-13k that “Sam” is running free on Kindle (there’s an image!) Sam has graciously consented to  interview his biographer, me.

S: Why did you take so long bringing my biography to the waiting world?
B: Cut me some slack, I was singing opera and stuff.
S: Why are there so many human beings hogging the attention? I don’t think you put me into enough scenes.
B: You have the title role. You  had a large circle of acquaintance, people you liked. People you hated.  I needed to stuff them all in.

S: What inspired you to write this poignant and tender book?
b: You did.
S: And what were your major influences?
B: You were.
S: No, I mean your literary influences.
B: Early influences areAnna Sewell, who wrote Black Beauty, Felix Salten, who wrote Bambi, and  L. Frank Baum, who wrote about a talking horse named ‘Stampedro’ in “The Yellow Knight of Oz.”  Stampedro, like you, was cantankerous.  I am very fond of Jane Smiley’s “Horse Heaven.” These are all stories where the animals talk.
S: How does my biography compare with these classic works of literature?
B: Well, you talk too.  Are you trying to embarrass me in public?
S: Sorrrry. I just want to be immortal, like Black Beauty, Is that too much to ask?
What was it like when we met for the first time?
B: You were not what I expected. I was expecting a pony.
S: Well you weren’t what I expected either. I was expecting to go to, you know, to the Alpo factory.  So how did we join up?
B: We had a lot in common. We were stubborn and mistrustful at first. It could easily have gone the other way.
S: You were a considerate rider though, from the start.  I always appreciate  it when humans want me to do something, that they ask me nice. I don’t like being bullied, you know?

B: I have an aversion to that myself. But I remember trying to bully you a few times, when I lost my temper.
S: And how did that work out?