Farasi's Story

Farasi looked up at the stars nervously and pictured the constellation of the Pegasus. They seemed to give her courage for what was happening to her. She still couldn’t believe it. Just under a year ago she had been born in that very paddock, surrounded by cherry trees and apple blossom. She had enjoyed those months of her life, but now it seemed to be all changing, for the worse. For a few days ago her owner had died, and now the farm was being sold. She and her mother were going to different owners, her mother to a riding stables in the country, and her to a dusty and hot town, where she would be forced to give rides to tourists. Farasi knew she would hate it. She lay down miserably, and watched the grey dawn creeping over the horizon. At seven o’clock her mother would be taken away. Farasi and her mother touched noses and then she was led off, towards a horse box. Two hours rolled slowly past, and then Farasi’s new owner came over. She was a tall, cruel looking woman and she was holding a whip. Farasi did not know what a whip was for when she had never seen one. The woman came over to her, and checked her over roughly.

‘A bit on the small side,’ she grumbled. ‘I’ve no idea why I ever brought you! I suppose I have to keep business running…’ she cracked the whip, and Farasi shied off to the other side of the paddock.

‘****** horse!’ yelled the woman, and ran after her.

What is she saying? Wondered Farasi.

Soon she found she had a halter on and was being pulled towards a horse box, one not unlike her mother’s but smaller and smellier. They journeyed all day, and all night. There was a tiny window in the horse box, which Farasi peered out of. The Pegasus constellation was rising in the sky, and as she stared at it Farasi remembered something her mother had told her.

‘That constellation, Farasi, holds our spirit. As the legend goes Pegasus was a great horse, who one day fought a terrible battle against the phantoms. Then Zios the Sky Father gave him the power of flight, and huge strong wings. When Pegasus died, his spirit was placed in the sky, to protect all his race, and all other races too.’

‘Look after me, please, Pegasus,’ Farasi pleaded. ‘I need you now!’

The stars which marked Pegasus’s wings seemed to glow more brightly than ever, and Farasi felt a strange sensation, almost as if Pegasus’s spirit was coursing through her! Almost immediately Farasi fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next day Farasi was awoken by the stop of the car, and the cruel woman coming to let her out.

She cracked her whip and yelled ‘Come out, now!’

Strangely, Farasi could understand her! She trotted out of the horse box, and followed her nervously to where there was a small barn, without any walls. Several more horses were being tethered there. It was hot, and Farasi could smell car fumes, cigarette smoke and the smell of burnt chips. It was horrible here.

The next day Farasi was taken out of the no-walled-barn and taken to a group of people. A large, fat man climbed on her back, and Farasi’s knees buckled under her weight. She leaned, staggering, against a tree.

‘Get on with it,’ cried the man, digging his ankles into Farasi’s ribs. Farasi snorted in pain, and reared up angrily. The man was thrown off her back, neatly into a pile of horse manure. A few of the other horses whickered appreciatively. But now the cruel woman was advancing towards her. Farasi backed nervously away, and then, spying a small track leading through a small wood and down to the beach, Farasi galloped off. The woman gave a shout of annoyance, leapt on a horse and zoomed off in pursuit. Farasi was still young, and the horse was an experienced runner, and was also afraid of her mistress’s whip. Soon the horse was gaining on Farasi. Farasi glanced up at the sky. During the day she could not see the stars, but she knew they were there.

Pegasus! Farasi cried out in her mind. Help!

All of a sudden an enormous grey-blue coloured heron swooped down, and landed on the path in between Farasi and her pursuer.

‘Farasi,’ said the Heron gently, ‘do you know who I am?’

‘Y-y-yes,’ she panted, ‘you’re Mira, mother told me about you.’

The heron smiled, ‘Well done, yearling. You have the makings of a great Shaman.’

‘What’s a shaman?’ asked Farasi, forgetting about the cruel woman and everything else.

‘A tale singer and wound healer. A loved one and a lover of others. I can see you pity the woman, and are sorry she has turned out the way she is.’

‘Pity her!’ said Farasi in amazement. ‘I do nothing of the sort!’

‘Look deep inside you, and see your real feelings,’ urged the heron.

Farasi screwed up her eyes tight, and then opened them, looking puzzled. ‘Sky Mother,’ she began, but Mira interrupted her ‘How did you know my other name?’ she asked.

‘I-I-I don’t know,’ she said, looking confused. ‘What I wanted to say was that my mistress is cruel, but she has pride, and does not want others to think she is nice to what she calls “beasts of burden”…’

Mira looked impressed. ‘Can you tell what I am thinking?’ she questioned.

‘I’ll try…’ said Farasi uncertainly. she screwed up her eyes again, opened them after a few seconds and said ‘You come from a green land, with rivers and oceans, called Jamaa. And…’ she hesitated.

‘And…?’ prompted Mira softly.

‘You want me to come with you there,’ said Farasi quietly.

The heron smiled, a warm, loving smile. Farasi’s spirit suddenly seemed to stretch across worlds, for she saw everything and everyone. People cooking, people swimming, animals hunting, storms growing, sun shining, rain pouring, snow falling, everything! Then, up ahead she saw a lush green land, full of rivers and surrounded by oceans; Jamaa! Farasi looked around her, and gave a sigh of contentment; she was home at last. ~Ancient Animal Jam Legend, created by Kinyonga and StarryGem