The Storm-Gray Mare

We flew across the desert as if we were the only ones in the world, that storm-gray mare and I. Suddenly, she stopped. I almost slipped off her left side, but she caught me.

Then I saw the pure white kitten by the path! The storm-gray mare said, “Part my mane, and you will find a small hole. Put the kitten in there.”

So I got off, picked the kitten up, and parted the mare’s mane. I put the kitten in that little hole, then put a couple of strands of mane on top.

I remounted, and we galloped away, until the mare stopped again! This time she stopped gradually, so I didn’t lean off.

We saw a brownish gray baby owl with a broken right wing! The mare said, “Part my mane by my ears, and you will see a splint to put on the baby owl. Then put her in the hole with the kitten. They won’t fight.”

Again, I did what she told me, and it worked! I remounted, and we flew across the desert, uninterrupted.

Suddenly, I heard, “Wake up, wake up! It’s your birthday!” I sat up groggily and realized that it was all just a dream. I walked downstairs, my little brothers running ahead of me, then doubling back.

We live at a horse farm, and my brothers told me to go into the barn. I saw my parents and older sisters there, holding three things behind their backs.

They all yelled, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!” My parents handed out their presents. Mom had a purely white kitten; Dad had a brownish gray owl!

H’mm, I thought, that’s funny! They look just like the ones in my dream! But they can’t be. I pushed the pesky thought aside.

Then my older sisters handed me a halter, just big enough to fit a newborn foal. I walked into the stall behind them and I saw a storm-gray filly looking at me.

I knew these animals were the ones from my dream. I whirled around and hugged my family.