My entry for Angelhorse's writing contest:
Manifest Destiny
The Story of a Very Little Pony
By Hannah W.
I am a Shetland pony. For the first few years of my life I lived in a lovely little pasture, surrounded by friends and family. My dam told me we were mostly bred as mining ponies. Our job in life was to help men carry loads in little carts from beneath the ground. I met some ponies who came back to the pastures to retire. They told me all about their work.
“It was dark, always dark!” one said, closing his eyes at the memory. His buddy stepped up and began scratching his friend’s withers with his teeth, trying to comfort him.
“It wasn't so bad,” a little mare said, taking a break from grazing. “The men have lanterns, and most of them were kind to us.”
The first pony stamped a hoof. “We pulled carts from dawn to dusk, and some of my friends were killed in cave-ins! It was always dusty, often damp, and many times we lacked water. Sometimes there was no grass around us for miles.”
By that time I was terrified. I didn’t ever want to work in the mines. Naturally, when our owner came to take me and several of my friends out of the pasture, I was reluctant. As we were herded down the road, I turned back to look at the green pastures one more time. Would I ever see them again?
The market where we were corralled was overwhelming. The noises and the smells, the sights and the people! We all huddled together the first day, but soon got used to it. Sometimes men stopped to look us over, and occasionally led ponies away, usually in small groups. At the end of the third day, I was all alone. I missed my friends! I wanted to go back home.
I watched one large family in the market. They bought food and oxen. A young girl from the family was given money by her father. “Go buy some sweets,” he said. She wandered around with a little boy clinging to her hand. She stopped in front of the corral and looked at me. “Hey little pony,” she said. She pulled a pile of grass and hand fed it to me. I was grateful. I was used to grass all day, not the dry hay we were fed.
My owner watched us. “Ye interested in buyin' lass?” he asked the girl. “Oh no!” she said. “I only have a few pennies.” He smiled. “Well Lady Luck has blessed ye. This laddie be too small for workin' in th’ mines. I'll be given him to ye for a few pennies.” Too small! I hadn’t thought about that before, but I realized I was smaller than any of my friends. I stamped a hoof. I was just as strong as the rest of them! It didn’t occur to me at the time that my size was a blessing. I would be spared from labor in the dark places.
The girl was delighted, and, handing him her pennies, she led me out of the corral. Her father was not so happy. “It is foolish to bring a little pony like this on our journey. He is too small to be of use, and he is one more mouth to feed.” Anna (for that was the girl’s name) pleaded and begged until he agreed. “He will work for his supper then,” Anna’s father sighed.
I was quickly outfitted with packs of food and whatnot. I good naturedly followed behind the wagon as the family started away from the market. I did not know where we were going, but I knew it was not dark.
The first night, when we settled down to sleep, Anna’s sister, Rachel, asked what my name was. I looked expectantly at Anna. I’d never been called anything but “Pony.” Anna thought for a moment. “I shall call him Manifest Destiny. That is what Pa says brings us westward.”
Anna’s father laughed. “It is a great name for such a little horse. We will have to call him Manny.” And so they did, for the most part. Anna’s older brother Jonathan liked to call me “Little Destiny.” I soon learned we were traveling westward, to start a “new life” in Oregon. I didn’t completely understand, but I knew Anna’s ma, and Anna herself were sad to leave behind close friends. Anna said I was her new best friend. She talked to me about what had been left behind, and what she hoped to find in Oregon.
Then, one day, sickness struck. Anna’s mother had a high fever, and babbled incoherently. Anna had a lot of responsibilities during her mother’s sickness. She had to care for her ma, and all the little ones; Rachel, Eliza, Benny, and Simon. I did all I could to cheer them up. Sometimes Jonathan would play his pipe, and I would prance around. The children laughed, thinking I was dancing. How could they know the horrible sound agitated me? At least they enjoyed it. Little Simon became horribly sick, and clung to life for a few days, but we had to bury him before we moved on. Anna’s ma was well by that time, but she was sick at heart. The whole family took comfort from me. Anna cried into my mane, her ma talked to me of her grief, I gave Eliza and Benny little rides, and I think even Anna’s pa felt better when laughing at something silly I had done.
We stopped in a small town to buy provisions. Anna’s pa gave money to a young man in trade for food. The young man took the money, but never came back with the supplies he had promised. We didn’t have anything else to trade with, and couldn’t continue without flour and other supplies. The morning after our money was taken Anna knelt down beside me and encircled me with her arms. “You’re a brave little pony, such a brave little pony,” Anna said, and started crying into my mane. I nickered. I didn’t want her to be sad!
Her pa led me away to the town, along with their two horses. I soon learned from my tall companions that we were to be sold. I couldn’t bear to leave Ann, but I had no choice. When I was bought, Anna’s father apologized to me. “I’m sorry little fellow. I couldn’t find any other buyer for you, you are so small. This is better than the mines though I’d reckon.” He had sold me as horse meat!
I could not, I would not become someone’s dinner! I searched for a way out of the corral. I didn't have any luck. I talked with my larger friends. They were mustangs, they said, wild horses. I snorted. They were penned up because they were eating grass that men wanted for their cattle!
What hope had I of escaping if these great big horses couldn’t? It took a while before I realized that I could use my size as an advantage. The mustangs had been pawing under the fences, creating small ditches. I realized if the ditches were a bit bigger, I could easily crawl under the fence! I asked the horses for their help, and most of them readily agreed. I was out within an hour. I could have left then, but I couldn’t leave my new friends behind. When the man who had bought us came to the corral to deliver hay, I snuck up behind him. As soon as he unlatched the gate, I ran into him. He tripped, falling right into the corral. The wild horses burst out. Even though the man intended to kill them, they were careful not to stomp on him.
A big blue roan stallion stopped when he reached the astonished and angry man. He grabbed him by the shirt, and shook him like a twig, before dropping him unceremoniously in the dirt. The stallion nickered to me in thanks before galloping off with his mares.
I watched them go, half wishing I could join them. But I was too small. Besides, I missed the people who had become my family more than I thought possible.
How would I find my Anna? I watched as wagon after wagon bought provisions and left the town. They all went the same way. Of course! I thought. Manifest Destiny. I must go west. And so I did. I followed wagons when I could, but couldn’t keep up with my short legs. I walked for days, living on prairie grass. Somehow, going west just felt right. When I veered off course, I knew it right away. It always felt wrong. Not to mention there were no ruts from wagon wheels.
After a week or so, I came upon a group of cowboys herding horses and a few cattle. I stopped to stay with the herd for the night, hoping for safety in numbers. The night before, I had heard coyotes off in the distance, and knew I could not outrun them if they chose me for dinner. As I grazed, I listened to the cowboys singing and talking around their campfire. They began telling each other about their ranch building plans. They were headed to Oregon!
For the next week, I stayed with the herd. I had great difficulty keeping up, but did the best I could. There was no way I was letting my size stop me! I learned how to swim, as we crossed a few rivers.
Once in Oregon, we entered a little town with a small church, school house, and a few shops. There weren’t many houses, and most of them were log cabins. I wandered around, wondering what to do next. Then I saw a half-built cabin on the edge of town. I heard laughter, and saw children running around the yard. I’d know that laughter anywhere. I galloped faster than my little legs had ever carried me.
For a moment the children couldn’t see me; then the dust settled.
“Pa!” yelled Anna. “It’s Manny!” She ran to me, half crushing me with her hugs, and telling me what a brave boy I was, how smart and handsome. If ponies could cry, I would have been sobbing with relief.
Her family came running. “Size isn’t everything!” Anna’s ma said, stroking my mane. “Well if that don’t beat all!” Her pa laughed. “Manifest Destiny indeed!”
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