Charlie the Great White Horse and the Story of the Magic Jingle Bells

by Kenneth Mullinix

  ~Chapter 2~

  Meet Charlie and his Barnyard Friends

  The Beamers, R Hanging K ranch was a wonderland to Louis. Especially the barn, where all the barnyard animals lived, worked, and played.

  The most nervous because Thanksgiving was coming soon and well-liked animal in Mr. Beamer's barn of course was Mr. Turkey.

  Mr. Turkey was a handsome, plump, all white turkey with a bright red plume of feathers around his neck and at the crown on top of his head. He was a full-bodied bird which worked against him most of the time and did he sure look delicious (attractive).

  Mr. Turkey lived most of his life in solitude, and completely alone, because he simply could not truly trust anybody or anything. Mr. Turkey had no real reason to be alone and lonely all the time, because he was invited to many social functions like Christmas and Easter dinners, birthday and graduation parties. He always wanted to be invited to the party, to help bolster a bland get together, with his magic tricks and stunning personality. He sure did not want to be invited to the party, "so that he would be dinner"?for the guests. Most of the time though Mr. Turkey just used his magic tricks to disappear, around dinnertime and holidays.

  Parties and get-togethers always made Mr. Turkey very nervous.

  Another animal in the barn was Rochester a very impressive large black and red roster that was so very proud of himself. Every time he would look in the mirror, he envisioned himself a peacock with a magnificent plume of feathers. He would stand there for hours, just admiring himself and he had every reason to, because all the hens in the barn thought as much of him, as he did of himself.

  He was a real delight to behold.

  There was the Henderson family of chickens and of course, the ever-proud Arty the Pig. Arty was the fattest pig you ever saw, with a large turned-up snout, large front crocked teeth, fat pudgy feet, and a mean temper to him that would make even Mitch the Bulldog pale in comparison. Everyone made sure they stayed way away from Arty, anytime he and his extended family, entered or left the barn or they would surely get run over by his brood and end up a muddy, wet and utterly disgusting mess.

  There was also Miss Harriet the old milking-cow who seldom left the barn and resided in the very back by the horse's watering trough. She mostly kept all the little ones in the barn in order and gave milk as needed, whenever they were hungry. Miss Harriet never complained or desired for much anymore. She had lived a full life and was very content to stay in her little area of the barn and watch the entire goings-on, as most old cows are known to do, she had been around forever but she still was a hard working girl, and never ran dry of milk especially, when it was needed the most.

  Then there was, "Charlie the Horse".

  He was a good-natured and friendly horse, who stood about seventeen-hands high. That would be considered extremely big for most horses but not so for Charlie, or his family members.

  Charlie had a very famous uncle indeed; Colton the Brave who was about twenty-hands tall, and was the most well known, of all of Charlie's ancestors.

  He once lead Hannibal's army out of the great Alps and Pyrenees mountains, in Northern Italy in a driving snow storm that lasted almost three months. When the traveling party was all but lost and had lost their courage, Colton found the only way back out of the mountains. Moreover, he alone chased off a pack of wild wolves and a few ferocious bears, at least a dozen times or more though out the long, dangerous journey.

  Another one of Charlie's legendary family members on his mother's side was famous as well, Benedetti the Good. He was a trusted friend of the celebrated Marco Polo, his father Niccole' and his uncle Maffeo.

  When Marco Polo had traveled greater China, around the year of, thirteen twenty two AD Benedetto the Good lead, Marco Polo through all the new and undiscovered trading routes, and never was lost, or lost his nerve during any of their travels.

  Finally, there was Bocephales the Mighty, A Sergeant-Major in Alexander the Greats army, who crossed Rome throughout his life, helping to lead Alexander's armies throughout many, ambitious and daring adventures.

  Charlie came from a very brave and famous family indeed.

  At least that is the way, Mr. Beamer would tell the stories about Charlie. Mr. Beamer knows all about famous horses and wild animals, dangerous or supernatural beasts, and such things. You see Mr. Beamer traveled the world over when he was stronger, braver and had the yearning to do so.

  The stories about Charlie's family were found in old scriptures, written on ancient caves, told about in lore, or sung in festive songs from one end of the world, to the other. That is how Mr. Beamer said he had learned about, all the stories of Charlie's family.

  You see Charlie just knew "one day" that he would be as famous as his relatives, who had lived before him.

  Charlie was an older horse now and just could not remember very much about his past or much about, when he was a small pony. His memories would fade in and out as older horses and people are known to do. He just did not know when his time to be famous would come, or how the story of his life would be written into history.

  Most of Charlie's duties today were to deliver the ice in Centerville with his ice-wagon, to the town's folk, during the hot summertime.

  That was mostly all he did, and what he was asked to do.

  It was a simple calling that Charlie had and he did the best job he could for Mr. Beamer. He lived a life more or less filled with simplicity and a call for duty.

  Charlie was really just a service-horse or a common carthorse. However, to be well known and to be somebody famous?oh man?someday?thought Charlie.

  It was in his family tree and part of his bloodline he just knew it.

  Charlie just seemed to not have had any great callings yet.

  He did keep himself busy most of the rest of the year, by performing odd jobs, by plowing cornfields, helping when there would be either a barn raising, or hauling all of the heavy-supplies from town, back to the farm for Mr. Beamer or Hattie May.

  He was always happy and content in his work and did sometimes enjoy showing off his great strength. The ice-wagon when it was full, weighed well over two-thousand pounds. When he passed by all the townsfolk seeing, Charlie pulling a wagon with such a great weight, would just stand there, and admire him, his strength, and his undeniable determination in his work.

  Charlie just loved all the kids in town and they sure loved him. They would greet him with joyous hellos and waives of the hands, wherever he went. The children would crawl up on his slight sway back by using of his long flowing tail. That was really the only way to get up on his back, because he was so tall.

  He never minded too much them pulling his mane of hair or his ears which they did constantly because they were all his friends deep down inside.

  It was all good-natured fun to him.

  Being tall also meant he was a little clumsy because, his feet were so enormous and his legs were so long. He wore a size-four horseshoe. His hooves were so big that the town's Ferrier had a heck of a time making horseshoes to fit him. And when he trotted down the stone and red brick pathways in town everyone could hear him coming, from blocks away.

  The clippity-clappity sounds of Charlie horseshoes hitting the ground was most melodic and delightful, to those who would take the time to listen for it. He also, wore a large brimmed, straw floppy hat during the summertime, to keep the sun off his face and the nagging flies away from his eyes.

  Mr. Beamer had cut two large holes in the sides of the straw hat so Charlie's large ears would fit through comfortably. The hat was light green, which matched his large friendly green eyes, and Charlie would sometimes wear a large eagle feather in his hat, that he had found one day, while out working in the fields.

  When he would wear that feather, this particularly would make him feel fanciful and proud, when he was out and about town.

  His ears had quite a bit of horsehair in them, b
ut Charlie liked it this way. He did not let Mr. Beamer trim his hair there because, the summer-flies would try to land in them and this would drive old Charlie just plumb crazy.

  Sometimes people would see Charlie and ask him if he was unhappy-because of the look on his face, but Charlie would only be found unhappy, when the flies would bother him, or when he had no work to do. Most animals have to have work in their daily lives to stay happy and Charlie was no different.

  Charlie was getting on to be about eighteen years, which is old for most horses but Charlie was still so very strong in mind and spirit. His shoulders could move a mountain if he had to, and his neck was powerful and true. His long beautiful flowing white tail was hard to miss and Charlie considered it, his best feature. All he had to do was flip and fling it out in different directions, and it would be a spectacle to witness. It made Charlie kind of have the same feeling that a handsome peacock, or Rodchester the Red Roster must have, when opening its plume of feathers for the world to see.

  Charlie had a little bit of a swayback because he had lived a life full of toil, from laboring in the fields, and from pulling so many heavy loads of ice, in his ice-cart though out the years. Nevertheless, even with a swayback Charlie was still, very handsome especially to the mares who just loved him to no end.

  His color was a beautiful chestnut brown, with white highlights that matched the color of his tail, and his body hair was long, and straight and shown bright in the warm autumn sun. His teeth were a little bucked, but he made up for it with a beautiful smile, that was so disarming even the other horses in town, were a little jealous of him and they mostly all had, perfectly white straight teeth.