Stallion by Starlight

by Mary Pope Osborne

  Annie laughed. “We’d better get Buddy back to the barn before everyone wakes up,” she said.

  “Okay. Then we’ll figure out what to do next,” said Jack, “about helping Alexander and stuff.”

  “And we have to learn a truth about greatness from him, too,” said Annie. “Remember our mission?” She held out her hand, reminding Jack about the Ring of Truth.

  “Right,” said Jack. He’d almost forgotten. “Keep checking that ring to see if it’s glowing.”

  “I am,” said Annie. “Don’t worry.”

  The stallion gathered speed and cantered up the road toward the market square. By now, the sellers were setting out their fish and fruits and vegetables.

  Jack looked up at the hilltop. King Philip’s white mansion caught the fiery light of the rising sun. “We need to take you back to your stall now, Buddy,” he said.

  The stallion stepped carefully up the pebble path. When they reached the stable area, Jack spied the king and his companions walking toward the riding ring. “Oh, no! They’re here already,” he said.

  “Then let’s take Buddy through the stable’s back entrance,” said Annie. “Hurry!”

  “Good idea,” said Jack. He shifted his weight. “Turn, Buddy, go right.”

  The stallion changed direction and headed for the back of the stable. But as they drew closer, Jack saw someone standing in the open doorway.

  It was Prince Alexander.

  The stallion stopped and neighed at the prince. Alexander stood with his legs apart and his arms crossed. He was not smiling.

  “Hi there!” Annie said.

  Alexander didn’t answer. He glared at Jack and Annie. “I shall have you punished for stealing him,” he said. “I have been looking for him everywhere.”

  “We didn’t steal him. We just took him out for a ride,” said Jack.

  “Why did he let you two ride him?” Alexander asked. “Of all people?”

  Jack started to make a comment about Alexander’s attitude, but then he made a different decision—he decided to be kind. “Maybe he let us ride him because he knew that you are a friend of ours,” he said.

  The prince looked confused by Jack’s answer. “Really?” he asked.

  Jack nodded.

  “Well, I suppose that could be possible,” Alexander said. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “So where did he take you?” he asked. The anger had left his voice. Now it was filled with curiosity.

  “We just rode through town and down the main road and around the swamps and fields,” said Annie. “I wish you’d been with us!” She swung her leg over the horse’s back and slid to the ground.

  Jack did the same. The stallion neighed and brushed his head against Annie, then Jack. Annie giggled. “That tickles,” she said.

  “How did you tame him?” Alexander asked.

  “We listened to him,” said Jack.

  “Listened to him?” the prince asked. “What do you mean?”

  “It was sort of like … we forgot about ourselves and paid total attention to him instead,” said Jack.

  Alexander watched as Annie and Jack stroked the stallion’s mane. “My father vows he will not waste his gold on this horse,” he said. “But I … I see something very special in him. I believe he is extraordinary.”

  “He is,” said Jack. “He’s incredibly loyal.”

  “And he has a great heart,” said Annie.

  “I know. I can tell,” said Alexander.

  “Maybe you could tell your father that you will pay for him yourself,” suggested Annie. “Do you get an allowance?”

  “I do not know what that means,” said Alexander. “But no matter. I doubt that my father would agree to anything I propose. He has no respect for my opinions—or my accomplishments.”

  “Your father is wrong not to give you respect,” said Jack, and he meant it. “One day all the history books will call you Alexander the Great.”

  “Are you mocking me?” Alexander said, scowling.

  “No! It’s true, I promise,” said Jack.

  “Believe us,” said Annie. “We know.”

  “But listen,” said Jack. “Being great doesn’t mean you go around bragging about yourself all the time.”

  “Don’t tell everyone that you are a living Greek god,” said Annie, “or that you’re going to be master of the universe.”

  “Or that you are the best athlete in the known world,” said Jack. “Just accept that no matter what you can do, you’re still a regular human being, a person like everyone else.”

  “Are you insulting me?” said Alexander.

  “No!” said Jack with a smile. “Stop that! We’re all regular human beings. Why don’t you just let yourself be a real person for a change and laugh at yourself? Be okay with making mistakes and looking like a fool.”

  “Jack’s right,” said Annie. “Know that sometimes you’re great and sometimes you’re terrible. You’re strong and you’re weak.”

  The prince frowned. “A fool? Terrible? Weak?” he said.

  “The truth is this: nobody’s perfect. Even you,” said Jack. “So just accept it.”

  “You speak nonsense,” said Alexander.

  “It’s called humility,” said Jack.

  “Humility?” the prince said slowly.

  “Jack!” said Annie. “Look!” She held her hand close to Jack’s face. The Ring of Truth was glowing as if it were made of fire.

  Jack smiled again. “Yes. Humility,” he said to the prince. That was the secret of greatness that Merlin wanted them to discover on this mission.

  “But you cannot expect me to show humility to the world,” said Alexander, shaking his head. “No mighty king would ever do that.”

  “Well, no matter what you have to do to be a mighty king, you can at least have humility inside yourself,” said Annie. “And if you do, I promise this horse will trust you.”

  “There he is!” a gruff voice said.

  Jack, Annie, and Alexander turned to see two grooms coming out of the barn. One of the grooms held a whip.

  “You were looking for this horse?” Prince Alexander asked sternly. He stepped between the stallion and the grooms.

  “The king wants to see him in the ring again, with the others,” said the first groom. He moved around Alexander toward the stallion. As the man’s shadow fell over Buddy, the stallion snorted loudly and shied away.

  Alexander jumped in front of the groom. “Get away from him!” he ordered the man. “Leave him alone!”

  The groom stepped back.

  “Leave us!” roared Alexander.

  The two grooms turned and disappeared back into the barn.

  Buddy neighed.

  “Shh, my friend, shh,” Alexander said softly, stepping toward the stallion. “You mustn’t be afraid.”

  The horse shook out his mane and backed up.

  “Alexander, listen to him,” Jack whispered.

  “Remember … humility,” whispered Annie.

  Alexander stopped and stared into the horse’s eyes. The horse stared back at him. The prince slowly held out his hand and stroked the horse’s head. Then he spoke softly. “Something frightened you just now,” he said, “when the man stepped in front of you. What was it?”

  Buddy blinked and lowered his head.

  “The … shadows?” asked Alexander. The prince held still. Buddy raised his head. He and Alexander stared at each other for a moment.

  Then Alexander turned to Jack and Annie. “I listened, and I heard him!” he said in a voice filled with wonder. “He is frightened by shadows. I must remember to always mount him with both of us facing the sun.”

  Jack and Annie grinned at each other. Jack didn’t know if Alexander had really heard the horse’s thoughts, but he knew that Alexander and the stallion would be fine together.

  “Now you should prove to your father that you can ride him,” Annie said to the prince.

  Alexander nodded. “Yes,” he said, his eyes sparkling. He looked li
ke a different person. “Yes, I will.”

  “Good,” said Jack. “Go stand with the king. We’ll take Bucephalus through the barn and release him into the ring.”

  “Thank you!” said Alexander. He left them and disappeared around the corner of the barn.

  “Come on, Buddy,” Jack said.

  Jack and Annie led the horse through the barn. Before they reached the entrance to the ring, they stopped. The stallion snorted and dipped his head, and they both rubbed his neck and his nose.

  “Please help Alexander, Buddy,” Jack said. “He needs a loyal friend. And you need one, too.”

  “We love you,” Annie said. “Don’t forget that.”

  A groom appeared at the stable doorway. “Bucephalus!” he shouted.

  Jack and Annie reluctantly pulled away from the stallion. “Be great, Bucephalus!” said Jack, his voice cracking.

  Bucephalus looked at them with soft eyes. Then he walked with the groom out of the barn, into the riding ring.

  “Come on!” said Annie. “Let’s go watch!”

  Jack and Annie hurried to the back door of the stable. They shot outside into the sunlight and ran around the building to the riding ring.

  The king, his companions, and Aristotle were lined up at the fence. Prince Alexander stood with his father. All eyes were on the black stallion as he trotted around the ring, tossing his head and snorting.

  “Good morning!” Aristotle called to Jack and Annie. They ran to join him.

  “The king asked about you last night and this morning,” he said in a soft voice. “What have you been doing?”

  “Training them,” Annie said breathlessly.

  “Training who?” the philosopher asked.

  “The stallion,” said Annie.

  “The prince,” said Jack.

  Aristotle raised his eyebrows, but before he could speak, the king’s voice rang out. “Come back, you fool!”

  Jack, Annie, and Aristotle all looked at the ring.

  Prince Alexander had hopped over the fence. He was heading toward the black stallion.

  “Alexander! Do not try to ride him!” King Philip yelled at the prince. “Do not be a fool!”

  Alexander ran around the ring. Soon he was running alongside Bucephalus. When the stallion was facing the sun, Alexander vaulted onto his back.

  Bucephalus broke into a canter. Horse and boy moved together perfectly around and around the riding ring.

  The King’s Companions clapped and cheered. Jack, Annie, and Aristotle joined them. King Philip stared in amazement.

  The prince raised his right arm in the air. He looked over at Jack and Annie and shouted with victory.

  Laughing, they both gave him a thumbs-up.

  “You’re great, too, Buddy!” Annie shouted.

  The horse neighed.

  The king himself then broke into applause. He was smiling with pride at Alexander.

  “How amazing!” said Aristotle. “That horse will have the highest place of honor as the prince’s horse now.”

  “Cool,” said Jack. He sighed, and then looked at Annie. “Are you ready to go home?”

  “Ready,” she said with a grin.

  “Must you leave now?” said Aristotle. “I know King Philip plans to invite you to stay in the Royal House. Will you not stay and help me educate Alexander?”

  “No. We have to go back to our parents,” said Annie. “Pretty soon we’ll start missing them.”

  “Don’t worry,” Jack said. “You’ll do a good job with Alexander. All the world will say that someday.”

  “Just get him to work on the idea of humility,” said Annie.

  “Humility?” asked the philosopher.

  “Yes,” said Jack. “Tell him that one of the secrets of greatness is humility. He’s great enough that he can afford to have humility.”

  “Even if only you and he and Bucephalus know it,” added Annie.

  “I will remember,” said the philosopher.

  “Thanks for all your help,” said Jack.

  “Tell Alexander good-bye for us, please,” said Annie.

  Jack and Annie stepped away from the fence and headed toward the hill path. They crunched over the pebbles, down to the square. Then they started down the main road, away from town.

  They passed the field where the warriors were still marching. They passed the shepherd, the sheep, the goat herder, the goats, and the farmer plowing with the ox. They passed the rocky meadows dotted with cows, until they came to the olive grove. They were about to head between the trees when they heard galloping behind them.

  They turned and saw Prince Alexander thundering toward them on the back of Bucephalus. Clouds of dust billowed behind the horse.

  “Jack and Annie!” Alexander cried. He brought Bucephalus to a halt.

  The stallion shook out his mane, then dipped his head and whinnied. Jack and Annie rubbed his muzzle. “Hey, you,” said Jack. “It’s good to see you again!”

  The prince was out of breath. “You … you did not say good-bye!” he said.

  “Sorry!” said Jack.

  “We have to get home now,” said Annie.

  “You did a great job!” said Jack.

  “You really did!” said Annie. “You and Bucephalus were made for each other!”

  “My father thinks so, too,” said Alexander, smiling broadly. “After he saw me ride today, he said, ‘My son, you had better find a larger kingdom, because mine will not be big enough for you!’ ”

  “Oh, brother,” Jack said, “so much for humility.”

  Surprisingly, Alexander laughed. “Thank you for everything you did for me,” he said.

  “You’re welcome,” said Annie. “Have a good life with Bucephalus.”

  “I will. Jack and Annie, you make me want to travel all over the world with him,” said Alexander. “You make me want to know about all things—like koala bears and kangaroos.”

  “That’s great,” said Annie.

  “You make me want to surround myself with thinkers and scientists and travelers,” said Alexander.

  “Cool,” said Jack.

  “You make me want to sing my song to the four quarters of the earth!” shouted Alexander.

  Jack smiled. “Do that. Go sing your song,” he said.

  “I will! Farewell, my friends!” said the prince. “We are going back to inspect my army now!” He and Bucephalus turned around and took off down the dusty road.

  “Give those army guys a rest, why don’t you?” yelled Annie.

  Jack laughed. “Come on,” he said.

  He and Annie ran through the olive grove to the rope ladder. They climbed up into the tree house and looked out the window. In the distance the prince and his magnificent horse were dashing up the dirt road.

  “I almost expect them to take off and soar into the sky,” said Annie. “At least that’s what riding Buddy felt like to me.”

  Jack’s heart was heavy as they watched Alexander and Bucephalus disappear into a cloud of dust lit by the morning sun. “Good-bye, Buddy,” he said.

  “Bye, Buddy,” Annie echoed.

  Jack sighed. “Well, the good news is Buddy will have a place of honor for life.”

  “And Alexander will have a friend for life,” said Annie.

  Jack picked up their Pennsylvania book from the corner of the tree house. He pointed to a picture of the Frog Creek woods. “I wish we could go home!”

  The wind started to blow.

  The tree house started to spin.

  It spun faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  A soft summer breeze blew through the tree house window. Jack and Annie were wearing their own clothes again.

  “Mission accomplished,” said Jack.

  “I’d better leave the ring here,” said Annie. She pulled the Ring of Truth off her finger and carefully placed it on the floor in a patch of sunlight. Jack put the bottle of magic mist and the book about Macedonia beside the ring
.

  “Good. Let’s go,” said Annie.

  “Wait—how can we give our secret of greatness a place of honor?” Jack asked.

  Annie shrugged. “We could just write it down,” she said.

  “I guess that’ll work,” said Jack. He carefully tore one of the last pieces of paper out of his notebook and wrote in large letters:

  HUMILITY

  Jack slipped the paper under the Ring of Truth. Maybe it was just the morning light, but the ring seemed to glow brighter as it lay on the paper.

  Jack pulled on his backpack. “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yep,” said Annie. “Let’s go sing our song to the four quarters of the earth.”

  “Why not?” said Jack.

  Jack and Annie went down the ladder. Then they walked together through the dappled sunshine. The air smelled of summer. Crows called out to each other.

  “It feels good to be home,” said Annie.

  “No kidding,” said Jack.

  They came to the edge of the Frog Creek woods and crossed the street and started up the sidewalk.

  “I’m so thirsty,” said Jack.

  “Me too,” said Annie. “Hey, we can have some of Dad’s lemonade.”

  “Cool,” said Jack.

  “I’m really glad Dad’s our father instead of King Philip the Second of Macedonia,” said Annie.

  “Tell Dad that,” said Jack.

  “Yeah, I will,” said Annie. “It’ll totally confuse him.” They both laughed, and then took off running for home.

  Many historians praise Alexander the Great for being one of the most successful military leaders of all time. He led his men into battle with intelligence and courage and created the biggest empire the world had ever seen. Alexander had great curiosity about the world and a thirst for knowledge. On his expeditions he took along builders, scientists, writers, and artists.

  While some historians criticize Alexander for having been a ruthless conqueror, all agree he had a loving devotion to his warhorse, Bucephalus. Bucephalus is one of the most famous horses of all time. Historians believe he was taken captive in Thessaly and was probably four years old when he was brought to Macedonia.