When Wishes Were Horses - Sharon Hart Addy

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

16 Dec 2006 09:33 AM

It's a hot dusty day in Dusty Gulch. (Reckon that's how the town got its name.) Zeb is sufferin' in the sun and wishin' it was a mite cooler. Sent on an errand to the general store, he wishes it wasn't so dry. Then he sees a horse go by, and wishes he had a horse.

Out of nowhere a horse appears, an honest to goodness horse. Zeb runs into the house to tell his ma, who doesn't believe him at all. When Zeb wishes she'd just ... but no! Another horse appears, right in the middle of the kitchen! And then another, right in front of Mrs. VanderSnooty, one of the richest and most influential women in town!

Then a horse appears in the general store, knocking over the pickle barrel, pushed the dress mannequin through the window, and caused all kinds of havoc.

After thinkin' on it for a spell, Zeb finally realizes that every time he says "I wish," a horse appears. Hmmmm - maybe he can wear out the wishing. He says "I wish" several times over, and creates a whole herd of horses. They just keep coming, and he can't stop them!

Finally in desperation, he wishes that his wishes will be normal again, and finally the horses stop appearing.

"When Wishes Were Horses" by Sharon Hart Addy is a really cute book. Zeb learned a lesson in being grateful for what you have, and not always wishing you had something better. It's good to set goals and work for them, to continue to learn and grow, but when you're ungrateful for your blessings, it just creates a whole lot of problems in your life. You might even say it fills you with mare-sery and then you scream until you get horse. What, colt got your tongue?

(This book was published in 2002 by Houghton Mifflin and was illustrated by Brad Sneed.)

Related Blogs:

Flicka: a Horse Movie with a Heart

Focusing on Gratitude

Do You Have a Hat?

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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