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ON WITH THE SHOW! … “Don’t You Just Wonder?”

Every morning, her master left the house and entered the barn at precisely the same time. Every morning, a scoop of grain and several flakes of hay were given to her. Every morning, her water bucket was filled to the top. Every day, the old TV set was left on for her.

She liked the TV, although it wasn’t the same as having her master there for her. She liked the way it sounded, so very soothing at times and, other times, so very excitable. She liked the little people trapped inside the box … even though she wondered why they never came out and walked around, like her master did.

She liked the refrigerator outside the tack room, too, with itsfriendly purr and the delicious treasures offered to her master. She tried touching the refrigerator once, like her master did; but, for her, it never opened.

The radio was an interesting birdcage. Most of the birds which she knew, the barn swallows and sparrows fluttering around, made the same sounds day after day. But, the birds in the radio were different. Although she had never seen them for herself, she was sure the radio must contain the most amazing birds anyone had ever known. What did her master feed these birds, she wondered? Did they nest in there; inside the radio with the broken antenna, on the shelf in the feed room? Why didn’t they ever escape and fly around the room, she wondered?

The water hydrant was an interesting thing. She loved the sound of water. She loved the waterfall that cascaded out of the garden hose and gurgled into her water bucket at her master’s touch. Today, unlike
other mornings, her master had been in a hurry and her stall was sprinkled with water droplets. She tasted them.

Masters were strange sometimes, she decided. It was nice having them around, but who could understand them? Sometimes they were happy, sometimes they were sad. Sometimes they were singing, sometimes they
were crying. They loved talking to their hands. They could do this for hours, talking to their hands as they held a toy named “Phone” … Phone seemed to get a lot of attention. Most of the time, her master liked
Phone more than any of the other pets in the barn; even more than Radio, Refrigerator, Water Hydrant or TV. But, lately, her master was hollering at Phone and treating him roughly. No matter what her master did, however, it didn’t seem to hurt Phone. It didn’t seem to stop Phone from ringing again and again and again. But, lately, her master wasn’t always answering. Her job, at least her job as she saw it, was to guard the barn while her master was gone – and this, she did faithfully every day between naps. Her stall, a cozy room just for her, consisted of sturdy wooden walls just high enough for her to look out and see everything around
her. In front of her stall, for her master to rest on, was a comfortable sofa that had seen better days. There used to be buttons on the sofa cushions, but they had been just within her reach and had long since become something to chew on. She liked her stall, especially when she was tired, and sought peace and quiet. But,
sometimes, it was more fun to press her nose against the door and let herself loose to roam the place. Her master didn’t like it when she frisked around the place. But, since she never turned herself loose
when anyone was around, how could anyone know? She wondered about that.

The other pets in the barn must have told on her. It was probably that blabber-mouth, Phone. She would take care of him today. Today, she would simply push open her stall door, and knock Phone off his pedestal on the table beside the sofa. He wouldn’t like it. No, he wouldn’t like it at all. He would make pathetic noises, hoping she would pick him up and put him back on his perch, where he could spy on her and the rest of the barn pets while their master was gone. But, not today. Today, she would show no mercy – even when Phone was
screaming that horrible, blasted whistle of his, begging and pleading for her to hang him up. It was tough not having any legs. But, having no legs and not being able to get away would make it easier to smash him. Her master would be proud of her for shutting up Phone.

She loved days like this, although her master was taking longer and longer to come home. Maybe tonight would be different. If she guarded the barn and kept the peace between Bird in the Radio, Refrigerator, TV, Water Hydrant and Phone, maybe her master would be pleased. Maybe, her master would be happy and she would see a smile again. That would be good.

As the day wore on, TV and its people laughed and clapped for themselves, driving their little cars and wearing fancy clothes; talking about pills and soft drinks and food. Women with big hair and men with big smiles, hungry dogs scarfing up food, and cats so happy about the fresh smell of their litter trays. Things seemed OK for the little TV people.

After pushing Phone off the cliff of his table for ringing so often and disturbing the peace, she had savored the sound of him choking on his last words and she had moved on to a nice nap beside the hay
stack.

What was that noise!

A heavy, insistent sound startled her out of her dreams and into full alert. The presence of strangers at the barn door whirled through her blood and set her on edge.

“Go away!” she ordered, with a threatening whoosh of air through her nostrils, hoping they would understand her meaning – and prepared to carry out her intent even if they didn’t. “Go away!”

The sound of heavy knocking shook the sanctity of the whole barn into silence, down to every last mouse and spider. Only the little TV people didn’t seem to notice or care.

Rushing from her stall and into the aisle, she stretched her neck and peered out of the barn window. There were strangers at the house. Why weren’t they going away? What were they saying? How dare they pound on
the door like that! I’ll scare them. I’ll bellow and stamp my feet! I’ll let them know I can see them!

They didn’t go away. Instead of leaving more letters for the growing stack of mail at the house for her master, like the mailman did every day, they knocked roughly and rudely called out her master’s name.
But, he isn’t here, she thought. Don’t they know that?

Horrified, she watched as the strangers removed the doorknob. Choking back her fear, she watched as they pushed their way in to open the door and tramped onto the carpet her master was so careful not to
soil. Her heart beating wildly as the TV people laughed, she saw the strangers shut the door – and heard them going through the house, room-by-room, taking paintings off the wall, taking furniture – taking her
master’s bed!

When they were finished with the house, they looked to the barn. No! Don’t come in here! All courage melting from her veins, she rushed to the safety of her stall and stood still. Maybe they won’t see me, she
thought.

They didn’t see her. Not really. As if she were nothing – as if she meant nothing at all – they went through the barn, taking anything they wanted.

She waited like a statue until there were no more sounds. When, at last, the coast was clear, she held her breath at the sight of a barn she no longer recognized as her own. Gone were the TV people. Gone were the Radio birds. Gone were the purring Refrigerator and all her delicious treasures. Only Water Hydrant and Phone remained. But, Phone wasn’t saying much, and Water Hydrant had no more tears to shed.

As darkness settled over the place, they waited. Then, once again, the barn door opened. Once again, a team of strangers entered a place that never would have welcomed their kind. Finding her stall, they
carefully walked toward her. Stepping back, defeated and alone, she waited silently as they slipped a halter over her face and snapped a lead rope on it.

Where was her master, she wondered? Was all this because she had killed his beloved Phone? Was it something the Radio birds sang about, or, perhaps, was it something the little TV people had said?

The horse didn’t know . . . and don’t you just wonder?

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