Howardism: The Three Ponies

The Three Ponies

Once upon a time, there were three ponies who just happened to be brothers. One day while they were out playing in a field, their mother came to them and said the King was looking for a new pony. "You must hurry to the castle," she said, "and be neat, clean and fresh, and maybe the King will pick one of you."

So off they all went to the King's castle.

While they were walking, the fastest pony looked at his brothers and thought, "My brothers are better looking than I. However, I am faster, and maybe if I reached the castle first, the King might choose me before he saw my brothers." He started running and was soon ahead of the other two.

When his brother left, the prettiest pony figured out his plan, "He may be faster and will get there first, but I won't be far behind, and the King may see my beautiful mane shining in the sun and pick me before my brother." He too started running and soon left the smallest brother alone.

Along the way, as often happens on these sorts of stories, the first pony almost ran over a chipmuck who yelled at the top of his little voice, "Hey there, Mr. Horse. Would you pick me an apple. I am so hungry and haven't had anything to eat, and I can't climb trees."

The pony replied, "I am in too big of a hurry to stop and waste time." And that is just what he did-- speeding to the castle.

The second pony also came across the chipmuck who asked him for an apple too. "Oh no," he replied, "My mane may get tangled in the branches, and it must look perfect." With that he sped away.

When the third little pony came across the little chipmunk, he cried, "Please, Mr. Horse. Would you pick me an apple up there. I am so hungry and haven't had anything to eat."

"Of course," he said, and picked an apple for the chipmunk. He also picked another one and put in his saddle bag (for later). The pony then excused himself, "I must be going. I have to get to the King's castle." And off he went.

Further up the road, the first pony came across a man with a wagon full of toys that was stuck in the mud at the side of the road. The man said, "Excuse me, Mr. Pony, would you mind helping me pull my wagon out of the mud?"

The first pony said, "I am in too big of a hurry to stop as I am on my way to the King's castle." And off he went at a gallop.

The second pony also came across the same wagon and the same man who asked him the same question. "I might get dirty if I help you," and with that, he went away too.

When the third little pony came across the man and his wagon, he asked, "Would you mind helping me pull my wagon out of the mud?"

"Well," said the little pony, "I may be small, but I can certainly help." And he pulled while the man pushed and soon the wagon was out of the mud. But in the process, the little pony got quite muddy himself.

"I'm sorry you got so dirty, but thank you so much for helping me," said the man. "I don't have anything to pay you with, but I can give you a toy from my wagon."

"There is a river along the way to the castle, so I can clean myself there," the little pony replied, but since he didn't want to appear impolite, he took the doll and put it in his saddle bag, and hurried on his way.

When the first pony got to the river, he saw a little girl who was crying. "Please, Mr. Horsey, I need to cross the river to get home, but I can't do it by myself," she asked.

"I am in too big of a hurry to stop now," the first pony replied as he crossed the river by himself.

Soon the second pony came to the river and saw the little girl, but he replied, "If I carried you, you might mess up my beautiful mane," and he cross the river by himself.

Not long afterward, the third pony came to the river and saw the little girl crying. "I need to cross the river to get home, but I can't do it by myself," she replied, "Will you help me?"

"Of course, I need to cross the river myself. Hop on," and he ferried her across the river.

When they were both on the other side, the little pony asked, "Where do you live? I'm so late, I might as well take you home." He then pulled out the doll and apple from his saddle bag and gave it to the girl and told her that she could eat and play as they traveled.

She thanked him a big hug, and led him through the city and up the hill to the castle. When they entered the gates, the little girl said to the King, "Daddy, I found my new pony. This pony was so nice, he took care of me and carried me across the river and all the way home!"

And so that is how the littlest pony came to live in the castle and played with the little princess every day.

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	Flora and the Flower Small As a Mouse The Monster and the Snowman The Princess and the Pig The Three Brothers Troll The Fairy and the Stories The Little Man at the Tire Swing The Missing Slipper The Doll's Adventure Read other entries in Children_Stories...	Note Each night, my daughter asks me to tell her a story. She often starts the story giving me the characters and some of the plot, but I have to do the rest. This story started when she handed me three toy horses and wanted a story. She now knows this story well enough that she puts on puppet shows of this. The Three Ponies Once upon a time, there were three ponies who just happened to be brothers. One day while they were out playing in a field, their mother came to them and said the King was looking for a new pony. "You must hurry to the castle," she said, "and be neat, clean and fresh, and maybe the King will pick one of you." So off they all went to the King's castle. While they were walking, the fastest pony looked at his brothers and thought, "My brothers are better looking than I. However, I am faster, and maybe if I reached the castle first, the King might choose me before he saw my brothers." He started running and was soon ahead of the other two. When his brother left, the prettiest pony figured out his plan, "He may be faster and will get there first, but I won't be far behind, and the King may see my beautiful mane shining in the sun and pick me before my brother." He too started running and soon left the smallest brother alone. Along the way, as often happens on these sorts of stories, the first pony almost ran over a chipmuck who yelled at the top of his little voice, "Hey there, Mr. Horse. Would you pick me an apple. I am so hungry and haven't had anything to eat, and I can't climb trees." The pony replied, "I am in too big of a hurry to stop and waste time." And that is just what he did-- speeding to the castle. The second pony also came across the chipmuck who asked him for an apple too. "Oh no," he replied, "My mane may get tangled in the branches, and it must look perfect." With that he sped away. When the third little pony came across the little chipmunk, he cried, "Please, Mr. Horse. Would you pick me an apple up there. I am so hungry and haven't had anything to eat." "Of course," he said, and picked an apple for the chipmunk. He also picked another one and put in his saddle bag (for later). The pony then excused himself, "I must be going. I have to get to the King's castle." And off he went. Further up the road, the first pony came across a man with a wagon full of toys that was stuck in the mud at the side of the road. The man said, "Excuse me, Mr. Pony, would you mind helping me pull my wagon out of the mud?" The first pony said, "I am in too big of a hurry to stop as I am on my way to the King's castle." And off he went at a gallop. The second pony also came across the same wagon and the same man who asked him the same question. "I might get dirty if I help you," and with that, he went away too. When the third little pony came across the man and his wagon, he asked, "Would you mind helping me pull my wagon out of the mud?" "Well," said the little pony, "I may be small, but I can certainly help." And he pulled while the man pushed and soon the wagon was out of the mud. But in the process, the little pony got quite muddy himself. "I'm sorry you got so dirty, but thank you so much for helping me," said the man. "I don't have anything to pay you with, but I can give you a toy from my wagon." "There is a river along the way to the castle, so I can clean myself there," the little pony replied, but since he didn't want to appear impolite, he took the doll and put it in his saddle bag, and hurried on his way. When the first pony got to the river, he saw a little girl who was crying. "Please, Mr. Horsey, I need to cross the river to get home, but I can't do it by myself," she asked. "I am in too big of a hurry to stop now," the first pony replied as he crossed the river by himself. Soon the second pony came to the river and saw the little girl, but he replied, "If I carried you, you might mess up my beautiful mane," and he cross the river by himself. Not long afterward, the third pony came to the river and saw the little girl crying. "I need to cross the river to get home, but I can't do it by myself," she replied, "Will you help me?" "Of course, I need to cross the river myself. Hop on," and he ferried her across the river. When they were both on the other side, the little pony asked, "Where do you live? I'm so late, I might as well take you home." He then pulled out the doll and apple from his saddle bag and gave it to the girl and told her that she could eat and play as they traveled. She thanked him a big hug, and led him through the city and up the hill to the castle. When they entered the gates, the little girl said to the King, "Daddy, I found my new pony. This pony was so nice, he took care of me and carried me across the river and all the way home!" And so that is how the littlest pony came to live in the castle and played with the little princess every day. Tell others about this article:
	2014, Howard Abrams Some rights reserved	Originally written on 17 August 2004. Updated on 8 February 2014.