WALTER FARLEY: You ought to pursue your hobby . . . not become a lawyer so you can spend your spare time pursuing your hobby.
The Black Stallion, written by Walter Farley in 1941, is the first book, a big girl book, that I checked out of the library and took home to read on my own. By the time I discovered it in 1966, I was taking books into my room, shutting the door and telling everyone to leave me alone. I was in a book and I could not get out of it except to come to meals or play wih the girl across the street. We pretended we were wild horses. You see, I have been a horse in my mind since I was a small person.
Since then I absorb books that I really like. The series of books that Walter Farley wrote based on the Black Stallion, Son of the Black Stallion, The Island Stallion… they kept me reading for a long time. When I had read all of those, I moved to the Marguerite Henry books.
Cass Ole "The Black Stallion/Shêtân" from the movie
King of the Wind written by Marguerite Henry in 1948, is the fictionalised story about the first Godolphin Arabian to come to the United States. It is a wonderful romantic story that also was instrumental in peaking my interest in Morroco, Ramadan and Saudi Arabia. I have always been fascinated with the Middle East but especially Saudi Arabia and I did many reports on that country during elementary school.
As an adult, my husband and I became friends with a family from Riyadh and one day I hope to travel to see them. It is a dream of mine.
Walter Farley never owned a horse, but his excellent way of writing about them, encouraged me to read and I think, eventually pursue a desire to express myself through writing.
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I still have the Black Stallion on my bookshelf. Great post 🙂
Thank you. These are fun questions.
I used to pretend I was a horse with my best friend too….