STORIES

the mule walked across the field and stopped
startled by the noise in the forest edging the horizon
"what was that commotion?"
he wondered
he soon fell deep into thought
about all that it could be
he thought of what would happen if it were a bear
and how he might escape
he couldn't climb a tree and he couldn't run very fast
so he would have to be very clever
but everyone he knew
said that mules weren't clever
what would he do?
he saw a rock formation with a cluster
of wildflowers beside it
he believed
he could just fit
between 2 of the rocks
yes!
he did . . . he would hide here until danger passed
he felt safe
for a moment
but soon was worrying all the more
his friends had told him once of a fellow
who was attacked by a wild boar
it was horrendous and terrifying what they had told him!
a boar could surely sniff him out with its big snout
and find him where he cowered
what was he to do?
he heard quiet, almost silent, distant movements now
in the nearby woods
creeping, creeping closer
he trembled with fright and hoped for the best
he hoped
to stay still enough that whatever it was wouldn't find him
he hoped
it was a rabbit with 3 little ones on a peaceful monday hop
he hoped
it was badger and the mole that lived across the way from him
simply playing
another one of their
silly
stealthy
hide-and-seek
games
he hoped
it was Johnny the barn cat sneaking up on a mouse
or chasing butterflies again
he couldn't see anything from behind this rock
and it made him angry
he felt thirsty and frustrated
he couldn't figure out how he could be safe
he didn't even know who the enemy was!
"oh . . ." he thought back to 4 Summers ago when he was young
and used to play with the animals by the pond
up the road
next to the beautiful horse field with lilies
"FROGS!!!"
he knew he was right this time
and almost laughed out of the sheer relief
"all right
you found me!!"
he brayed with pride
and a smirk
he would get the best of them
if only this once!
his ears twitched as he listened for a response
he saw something bright orange
crouched
beneath a briar bush
he had never seen orange like that before
it was pretty!
what had he heard about those orange things
that showed up in the woods
from time to time
"uh oh . . !"
he suddenly realized the truth
but still
his mule-brain pondered
his thoughts felt murky
"but who in the world would hunt a mule?"
he ran as fast as his short legs could move
across the field he raced
over the old, broken fence he jumped
up the mountain he climbed
and back down the other side he slid
he had reached a creek
he saw stones and tried to map out a way
in his head to use them to cross
but then he saw a log spanning from shore to shore
he thought maybe he could slide on his belly
and slink across the fallen tree
"ouch!" he had tripped over something
he looked and saw a red shiny boat resting upside down
on the ground before him
he doubted no more
and quickly began to push it down to the water with his face
"this will be so easy and EVERYONE will finally listen
to me and call me a genius!"
he believed freedom was just down a little ways
he turned the boat over clumsily and quickly climbed in
and started floating with the current
he was going faster now
but it was okay
it helped him cool off from his brisk flight from his predator
the roaring water ahead grew louder and helped him relax
he closed his eyes and tried to count in Spanish the highest he could
this was was actually starting to be fun
he tried to remember how he would recount the excitement
of his adventure to all he met
for he would travel far away and tell amazing stories
and animals would come to see him and get his hoof print
upon the books he would write
"this is going to be great!!"
what was happening, though?
he suddenly felt the sensation of falling from a great height
all his horrible fears rushed back and he started to cry
he felt like such a fool
as he splashed with a sting at the foot of the waterfall
the boat landed about 12 feet away and completely out of reach
the ashamed mule had no courage left
and had no idea how to swim
"if only I had listened when the horses
had tried to teach me"


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