*****
A HORSE’S TALE – THE PLAY
CAST:
GRANDPA
PENNY, his 10 year old granddaughter
BARBARA, Penny’s 40+ yo mother
BRIAN, Penny’s 40+ yo stepfather (walk-on)
LOCATION: INSIDE LOUNGEROOM OF HOUSE
TIME OF DAY – between 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
PROPS
Loungesuite
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GRANDPA (is sitting alone on the lounge reading a book.)
PENNY (enters sullen faced and plonks herself on the other end of the lounge away from Grandpa.)
GRANDPA (puts down his book, and looks at Penny.)
What’s the matter little one?
PENNY (gives him a glare, but remains silent.)
GRANDPA. When I was young man, like you are a young lady now, sometimes when I was angry I used to tell my Grandpa what was wrong. I used to tell him because I couldn’t tell my Mum or Dad. They’d only growl at me and tell me not to be stupid. But my Grandpa was different.
PENNY (looks at Grandpa as if trying to read his mind)
GRANDPA. And he was very good at keeping secrets, just like I am.
PENNY. Maybe
GRANDPA. You wanna tell me about it? Come on, sit here. I need a cuddle anyway.
PENNY (looks at the old man, pauses, then, moves along the lounge to be next to Grandpa.)
GRANDPA, (slowly, not wanting to frighten her with any fast movement, raises his arm, and puts it behind her head.)
PENNY. It’s just not fair Granddad.
GRANDPA. What’s happening then?
PENNY. It’s Sam.
GRANDPA. What? Your horse Samantha?
PENNY. I call her Sam.
GRANDPA. Yes. I remember when you got her. That was for your seventh birthday. Now let’s see? How long ago was that?
PENNY. Oh, Granddad. You’re hopeless. Can’t you even count at your age? I’m ten now.
GRANDPA. Oh yes, that’s right. So that’s, erhh, what, how many years ago?
PENNY. Three years! (Penny looks up at her Grandpa and rolls her eyes.) Sometimes, Granddad you make me wonder.”
GRANDPA. (The old man grins as he looks at Penny.) Yes, that’s right. Ten minus seven. That’s three, right?
(She looks up with a look of condescension and rolls her eyes again.)
GRANDPA. Okay. What’s happening with Samantha?
PENNY. It’s Sam, I said. I only call her Samantha when I’m angry with her.
GRANDPA. All right then. Get on with it. I’ll be dead before you tell me what’s wrong.
PENNY. (The head and eyes routine repeats.) Can’t you be serious, Granddad?
GRANDPA. I’m sorry. Go on.
PENNY. Brian wants to sell her. But he can’t. She’s mine.
GRANDPA. Why don’t you call Brian, Dad? He’s been with your Mum from when you were two years old. He loves you like his own little girl.
PENNY. He’s not my Dad. I’m not his little girl.
GRANDPA. I know Darling. But when Dad died in that horrible car smash just after you were born, it was very tough for Mummy to keep the little farm running by herself.
PENNY. It’s Mum, not Mummy.
GRANDPA. Of course; but without Brian’s help, your Mum would’ve had to sell the farm. You know, he let his own farm get quite run down when he was helping your Mum. Then they became good friends, and got married when you were three. So he’s been like a real Dad since you were a wee one.
PENNY. But it’s not the same.
GRANDPA. I know Darling. You see, Brian never got married before, so he never had any children. And when he saw you, it was just like he had a little girl of his own. Before that he was all by himself, just like your Mum. It was sad, but it became happy; a bit like when Mum bought Sam for your birthday.
PENNY. Mum bought Sam so I could ride my own horse around the farm.
GRANDPA. Yes, Darling; but Sam also had another task, remember?
PENNY. You mean that ugly little foal.
GRANDPA. Yep. That ugly little foal was a thoroughbred and worth a lot of money. Well; that foal’s real Mum died too, but it still needed some mother’s milk because it was so little. And poor Sam had a foal that had died when it was born. So Samantha had lots of milk, but no baby. That was when your Mum bought her. It was a perfect match. Sam nursed the young foal as if it was her own and it grew into a fine strong yearling colt, just like you, but you’d be a filly. The young colt sold for a very good price and helped pay off lots of debts. But Sam was already ten years old then, now she’s over thirteen. In horse years, that’s older than me.
(Penny giggles and snuggles in closer.)
GRANDPA. There was a horse named Sugar Puff who lived for 56 human years. Sugar Puff died a few years ago in 2007. That was a freak. Many horses die before they are twelve. Some live to fourteen. Haven’t you noticed poor old Samantha just stands around in the same corner most of the day? That’s because her muscles are all tight, and her bones are now aching; all from really old injuries.
PENNY. Sam, not Samantha. What injuneeries?
(BARBARA and BRIAN move quietly inside the room, and are unseen by Penny. They watch and listen to the conversation.)
GRANDPA. Sam never recovered fully after her heroic act in the hills many years ago.
PENNY. (excited) What was that, Granddad? (She looks up at Grandpa)
GRANDPA. When Sam was about four years old, her then owner and another man went riding in the hills. There had been a lot of rain. They were on a very narrow track above a very high steep drop-off. Suddenly a huge slip of rocks and mud came sliding down and wiped them off the path, and over the steep bank.
PENNY. (sits up further, and twists round.) What happened then Granddad?
GRANDPA. The other horse got killed. Sam’s owner broke his leg and had other injuries. The other rider had a broken arm, broken collar-bone and head injuries.
PENNY. What about Sam?
GRANDPA. She too was very badly injured with lots of cuts and bruising. But, she was able to stand up. Even though she was hurting, she allowed the two injured men to somehow scramble on her back. Through the rain and thunder, slippery mud, and the weather getting colder, Sam carried them. Her slow and sure footing prevented the men from falling off. Despite all her injuries, for hour after hour she carried the heavy load on her back. Within sight of a farmer’s house, Sam collapsed and fell over from exhaustion and her injuries. The riders’ thought she was dead. The farmer saw them, and got an ambulance for the men. As soon as the ambulance left, he tended to Sam and saw she was still alive.
(Penny is wide-eyed and open-mouthed.)
GRANDPA. The farmer was a retired vet, so he knew what to do. It took many months for Sam to recover, and longer until she was able to walk and then run normally. Samantha was a real hero around the district. She had saved the lives of two very foolish people who would have died without her help.
PENNY. Brave Sam.
GRANDPA. Now she is past thirteen, she is feeling and suffering from all the injuries caused those many years ago. When horses are old like that, they have a retirement farm, just like an old peoples’ village. They look after old horses which live together until they get really old, and die.
PENNY. Poor Sam.
GRANDPA. They give them medicines for their aches and pains, and the horses all live out a happy life. Don’t you think Samantha deserves something like that?
PENNY. Poor old Sam. Yes, you’re right Granddad. I knew Sam was special. I’ll let her go to the special retirement farm. I’m going out right now, and give her two special big lumps of horse sugar, and thank her for saving those silly people.
(She bounds off the couch and out the door, running as fast as she can)
(Barbara and Brian approach Granddad who is nodding his head.)
BARBARA. I didn’t know Sam helped save two people. Who were they?
GRANDPA. I don’t know. (he pauses). Perhaps a phantom and
a ghost? I don’t care. I don’t think names important. Something like that could’ve happened couldn’t it? It does in fairy tales. At least you’ve now got a little missy that’s happy about Sam’s departure.
(Barbara and Brian grin and nod).
GRANDPA. But I’ll be bloody annoyed if you try sending me off to the factory to make dog sausages out of my body when I get older.
END