The Horse

Management chose the front end of the horse.

Len held up the back. “You’re sure?”

“We ought to see where we’re going.”

We had two eyeholes and a pair of ears that stood up when we lifted the head. Len could see our shoes.

The band began. We went through the gate into the square.

People turned to look. We lifted the head a little higher.

Beside the fountain, the mayor held out her hand. We dipped the head towards it.

Len walked into our back.

“You stopped.”

“We were bowing.”

“Tell me first.”

We said we would. The mayor was still holding out her hand, so we dipped the head again.

“Now,” we said, from inside the horse.

Len waited. The mayor stroked our nose. A woman brought a small child forward. We lowered the head until the child could reach it.

“Can we go?” said Len.

“In a moment.”

The child put a finger inside one of our eyeholes.

We moved on.

At the halt, Len lifted the cloth. He stayed folded for a moment after he had come out, then stood up slowly.

“Will you take the back for a bit?”

We said we could manage as far as the corner.

Len put on the head. We bent down behind him. The cloth settled over us. We could see his shoes and a little pavement on either side.

We waited for him to start.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes.”

His shoes moved. We followed. On the corner, his left foot went out of sight. We reached forward and took hold of his belt.