The Blue Horses

In the old days there were horses of many colors. They were happy living together in the fields and meadows of the wide lands, before men came to live there. They were free to roam the many hills, drink from swift streams, and run and play in the bright sun. One day men moved to the horses’ country and built a large house and many high fences all around. The kindly old men picked apples and the horses learned to come at the sound of their voices. And the men harvested hay and fed the horses during the cold winters. The old men loved the beautiful colors of the horses and they let them be free.

After a time the old men died and were buried, and their sons ran the farms. They said to themselves, “Look how strong and swift these horses are! If we could harness their strength surely our work would be much easier. Our fathers gave them apples and hay for nothing. What profit is there in that? ” Then they lured many horses into their barns with promises of apples and hay.

The men separated the horses according to their color. There was a barn for the brown horses, a barn for the red horses, a barn for the white horses, a barn for the black horses, a barn for the yellow horses, a barn for the grey horses, and a barn for the blue horses.

But soon the blue horses became restless, and they threw off their harnesses and called to the other horses, “Friends! Why are we still letting ourselves be confined by the fences of men? Let us roam the wild hills again and graze where we may in the meadows! Let us drink from fresh streams and play in the afternoon sun! We should not spend all our lives pulling the heavy plows of men!”

The other colored horses thought for a while and then answered, “But we are so comfortable here, being warm in the barns at night and eating the apples and hay the men bring us! The work is not so bad, and surely the men will let us go roam free for a time, if we promise to come back when they call.”

But the men had grown accustomed to the horses’ work and were afraid to let them go. They didn't feed any of the horses for punishment, and the brown, red, white, black, yellow, and grey horses resented the blue horses.

The blue horses were indignant and broke through their barn doors and tried to escape. But the men had built high fences and the horses could not jump over the gates. The next morning after the men had caught them, the blue horses were whipped in front of all the others. And from then on the others were afraid to talk with the blue horses, and they were shunned.

Time went on and as the horses multiplied, their pens seemed to shrink with overcrowding, and there was not enough hay for all the horses. Over time the other horses had worked so much that they slowly forgot how to talk. But the blue horses kept to themselves and waited for their chance to escape. The young colts and fillies never knew how to find food and water except from men. They were trained and ridden with saddles, and the men had so many horses they began to race them for sport. And the men also carried guns with them, riding in red coats, and with the help of many dogs they chased foxes and deer. The men took special delight in hunting and killing. The blue horses hated the saddles but feigned eagerness to join the hunt. They put up with the reins and spurs and whips until the men decided to ride through the countryside. When they rode into the forest, each blue horse threw off his rider and raced to freedom. The men swore, and those who had escaped injury shot their guns at the escaping horses. But all the blue horses escaped unharmed, and eventually they ripped the saddles off their backs by scraping against trees. 

The blue horses sped far away, but every open field they had once known was surrounded by high fences. Many trees in the forests had been hewn and taken away to new sawmills. There were houses and docks on the edges of lakes, and bridges ran over the streams. The land was not free, and the horses could find no home. They said to themselves, "How is it that man can claim the very hills and streams and forests by chaining the land with fences?" And they were at a loss as to where to go. Some desired to head north over the mountains, others west around the great lakes, and still others thought it best to follow the river through the valley. But no blue horses returned to the stables of men, and all sought peace in freedom. So they scattered to the four winds, and none now know where any blue horses dwell, or if any are still living their wild, free life.