I had a dream last night...
I saw the Golden Horse in the stall of his stable, shaking his mane in the cool night air. When who should pop up from the wooden door keeping him in but the Prince.
The young man slipped under the stall door, and patted the horse on the side. “Amazing.” he exclaimed. “You’re more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined. Just let me get your saddle, and we’ll be out of here.”
He slipped back out, and reached for the leather saddle, only to glance over at the golden one. But then he shook his head, reminding himself of the Fox’s advice, and what happened the last time he didn’t take it.
Carrying the saddle back to the Horse’s side, he lifted it up over the creature’s back, and shifted it around for a proper fit. But something seemed wrong. The saddle just looked so out of place sitting on such a lovely animal.
“What harm could it really do?” asked the Prince. “A horse certainly can’t crow like a bird. Perhaps I shall inspect the golden saddle, to see if it would be safe after all.”
So the Prince went back out, and approached the ornate harness, feeling around its cold, metal edge for anything that might alarm the groomers. But he could find no such thing. So, carefully, he lifted the saddle up off its hook on the stable wall, and examined the underside of it, again finding no evidence of it doing any harm.
Taking the golden saddle over to the horse, and sitting it aside so that he could remove the leather one, the Prince swung the shiny seat up onto the horse’s back. But the cold metal must have surprised the horse, as it caused the animal to rear up and whinny loudly!
The Prince turned to the stall door, fearing the worst, as the groomers came rushing in and grabbed hold of him.
Hearing the ruckus, the horse’s rider came out to see what was going on, stepping into the stable. “My horse?! What happened? Is he all right?” then he saw the Prince. “And who is this?! A horse thief?!”
The Prince looked up at the rider with concern. “My greatest apologies, kind sir. I merely came to ride the Golden Horse.”
“Ride it right out of my hands!” snapped the Rider. “I can see that you are from a rich family. Tell me, why is it that you wanted my horse?”
“If you really must know,” began the Prince, “I only wish to have the Golden Bird, as it was caught taking the golden apples from my father’s garden. But when the man who keeps the bird saw me trying to take it, he said he would only forgive my crime and give me the bird if I could get him the Golden Horse.”
“So you really are nothing but a thief after all.”
“Please sir, I was told that the horse was not yours either.” explained the Prince.
“Oh but it is!” the Rider replied. “The old woman of the Golden Castle gave it to me!”
The Prince looked away in thought. “So it is true...” Turning back to the Rider, he said “Then surely there is something I can retrieve for you, in the same way I am doing for the others!”
“Hah!” scoffed the Rider. “Send you on another thief’s errand?!”
These words hurt the Prince. What was this fox leading him to do? But what choice did he have now? Yet he assured the Rider “Whatever you wish, I promise that I will bring it to you, and bear the full brunt of the consequences.”
“Very well.” he replied. “There is a certain princess, with hair as dazzling as gold. She lives in the next castle north of here, and would love me herself if she only got to know me better.”
“A princess?” asked the Prince.
“Yes. Only then may you have the Golden Horse!”
–Charles M Warren
