The Horse and the Stag

Once upon a time, before horses lived on farms and pulled carts, they ran wild and free in the endless green meadows. There were no saddles, no reins, and no people riding on their backs.

In one of the most beautiful grassy meadows, a strong and proud horse named Gale loved to spend his days galloping in the sunshine and eating the sweet green grass. The meadow belonged entirely to him, or so he thought.

One day, a large stag with magnificent, sharp antlers wandered into the meadow. The stag was hungry and began eating the lush grass. Gale neighied loudly and stomped his hooves. “This is my meadow!” he told the stag. “Go find somewhere else to eat!”

But the stag did not leave. Instead, he stubbornly stayed and ate wherever he pleased. When Gale tried to chase him away, the stag simply lowered his sharp antlers, making it impossible for the horse to get close. Gale was furious. He wanted the stag gone, but he didn’t know how to do it alone.

Determined to get his revenge, Gale trotted down to a nearby village and found a man. “Man,” said the horse, “there is a stubborn stag eating all the best grass in my meadow. If you help me chase him away, we can share the land.”

The man thought for a moment and smiled. “I will help you, my strong friend,” the man replied. “But the stag has sharp antlers, and he is very fast. If I am to help you catch him, I must sit on your back to ride you. I will also need to put this metal bit in your mouth and these leather reins over your head so I can steer you.”

Gale was so angry at the stag that he agreed to the man’s strange conditions without thinking twice. The man placed a heavy saddle on Gale’s back, slipped the bit into his mouth, and climbed on.

Together, they rode up to the meadow. When the stag saw the strange sight of a man riding a horse, he didn’t stay to fight. He turned around and ran into the deep forest, never to return.

“We did it!” Gale whinnied happily. “The meadow is all mine again. Thank you for your help, man. Now, you may take the saddle off my back and the bit out of my mouth.”

But the man patted the horse’s neck and chuckled. “Take it off? Oh no, my strong friend. I never knew how useful a horse could be. You are going to stay exactly as you are, and you will come and live with me.”

And from that day on, the horse lost his freedom. He no longer ran wild in the meadows but worked every day for the man, always wearing a saddle and reins.

Moral of the Story: In seeking revenge, we often end up hurting ourselves the most.