Horsing Around Short Story

A slight breeze picked up. The scent of salt, from the ocean just a short distance away, carried on it. Something about the day put a spring in everyone’s step. A rambunctious chestnut colt jumped into view. Running and kicking, his long legs carried him across the pasture in moments. With tail and head lifted high he stopped and gazed across the pasture. He snorted with nostrils flared. His coat shined like burnished copper. Across the field he spotted his mother and his friend sprawled out sleeping on the ground next to her mother. The sun’s rays beat down on her from straight above showing off the dapples in her dark coat. The only movement that could be seen was the slight twitch of an ear. The colt raced over screeching to a halt right next to her.

“Come run and play with me Promise,” he cried out in exuberance.

“Leave me alone Copper,” she replied without bothering to even open her eyes.

He reached out and took her ear between his teeth pulling at it. “Get up.”

“No!”

“You are so boring.” He continued tugging on her ear lifting her head off the ground muzzle pointing towards the sky. The added weight ripped the ear from his teeth and sent her head crashing to the ground. Promise didn’t even react, trying to ignore him and his antics. Copper’s eyes brightened at the prospect of annoying his half sister. He lifted her head off the ground and let go of her ear to watch it crash to the ground again. Over and over he repeated his new game of annoying Promise.

“Stop it,” whined Promise. Copper only laughed and continued his game. Annoyed, Promise rolled over crashing into him. Their long legs became entangled in each others'. Copper began to lose his balance.

“Hey. Whoa. Ah!” Copper crashed to the ground in a heap on top of Promise.

Looking at the mess of a foal on top of her Promise began to laugh uncontrollably. “That’s what you get for being an annoying brat.”

Copper stood up and shook off some of the loose dirt trying to maintain his dignity. He gave a snort and walked off to join his mother, wondering if she would play with him.

Along the way his gaze fell across a feeding bucket that somehow got left in the pasture. With mischief on his mind he galloped over to the bucket grabbing its handle between his teeth and took off across the pasture again. He shook his head back and forth throwing the bucket every which way, only to grab it and toss it away again. He began to fling his head up and down losing the grip his teeth had on the bucket. It sailed up into the air and landed on his head. Copper stood in shock for a moment. He was shaken out of his stupor by the laughter of the horses behind him. He turned to see all three other horses in the pasture staring at him. Promise was on the ground kicking her feet and rolling in her mirth.

“What’s so funny,” Copper shouted.

“Your head,” Promised giggled. “You are wearing the bucket like a hat on your head.”

Copper shook his head in embarrassment. The bucket tumbled down to the ground. With righteous anger he kicked the bucket, sending it flying out of the pasture. Snorting he lifted his head high and raced over to Promise.

“Hey,” she cried out in surprise and began to stand up. Copper crashed into her sending both tumbling to the ground in a mass of legs, heads, and bodies.