The Story of Horse and Bear

Horse: What a night it is. It’s not so hot and not so cold. The grass seems blue in the moon. The clouds are few and the stars are plenty. The air is fresh, good for a trot, you think? My lungs do enjoy this moist cool atmosphere. What do you think of this fine summer night, stranger? Mind if I know your name? My name is Hickory. A horse from the north from a ranch still mud from yester-rain. This road is good for a nice brisk walk and the road is good for my hooves. How about you, Mr. Bear? How about you? Have you found any good berries? There is a garden past the stream full of carrots and tomatoes. Move swiftly and they shall be yours. Bear: My goodness Mr. Hickory, you have much to say about this night. Beautiful, you are right. If I could count the stars, I wonder what the number would be. My name is Charlie and I am from the north as well. up higher than where you are from. Past the hills and the farmlands I come from the tree covered mountains where there are evergreens for miles. I find it rather warm down here. I in fact followed that there stream and the vegetables were quite lovely, but chased by barking dogs. Did you see? I wandered down to see the land which people have carved. Tall cornstalks and flowers planted, the mountains could never be so colorful. Horse: Well, Charlie, I saw no dog. But you are right about the color. Flowers are everywhere and farms all over. The mountains, however, look wonderful from my ranch. So high and green and the way they hide in the clouds or peak just above them. I’d love to see those mountains someday. Would you take me, dear friend? The clouds rolled in quickly. Thunder echoed in the distance, coming closer and closer. Lightening moved in brighter and brighter. Drips and drops, pitters than patters, until buckets of water began pouring from the sky. The wind picked up, blowing Hickory’s main round and round his face. Horse: My goodness, that was fast my dear friend. Maybe some other day I’ll meet you in the mountains. I must head back before my master worries. Join me, Charlie? Would you please? No need for you to go to the mountains in this storm. Bear: Hickory, that is quite kind of you, but this is nothing for me. The rain feels good on my sweating back and the wind cools me to my feet. I’ll walk you to my ranch on my way back, but I’m sure you’d prefer to gallop instead, much faster than I could travel. Farewell Hickory on this fine night, I’ll see you sometime again. The horse bowed his head and turned and galloped up the hill to his ranch. The bear walked slowly toward the mountains as the rain poured down his back. 2004