The Little Horse Buys a Gift

The little horse was still shaken from his recent escape, but as the sun dried the sweat on his spotted coat and warmed him from the chill of his fright he began to look around the beach again. After all, he was not sure he would be able to be on his own again in this foreign land. But seeing other horses made him think of home, of his family on the bookshelf. He missed his mother and his father. He missed his au pair and his friend the pinto pony. But most of all he missed his sister, Belle. His ears and his tail began to droop as he thought of Belle. But then he saw bright painted fishes dangling above the sand. What was this? he wondered. He had always thought fish lived in the water. His ears shot up, his tail arched behind him as he trotted toward the colorful display. He crept closer and closer, looking to both sides, watching out for anyone with a rope. But no, here were the same friendly hawkers he had seen before. The fish turned out to be wooden mobiles. And there, in a black case, was just what he needed—beautiful silver jewelry to take home to his sister as a present. The hardest part was deciding what to get. Then the bargaining began. He nodded with his nose towards his choice. Two hundred pesos he was told. Two hundred pesos! He shook his head. “For you, one hundred fifty,” came the reply. He turned away. “One hundred twenty-five pesos.” The little horse nodded his head. For one hundred twenty-five pesos he would buy a gift for his sister. He dashed away to find Lou. For after all, the little horse did not have any money of his own.