Sin Ma/Shen Shixi Animal Legendary Stories

Old Horse Winnie

Yunnan is mountainous and transportation is inconvenient. Transporting goods in remote areas relies entirely on animal power, so horse caravans prevail.

In fact, it is more accurate to call it a caravan than a mule gang, because even a caravan with dozens of horses only has one or two horses, and the rest are mules. Mules are a cross between horses and donkeys. They are generally larger than horses. Although they are not as galloping as horses, they have strong endurance and are good at carrying heavy loads on steep mountain roads. They are not as picky as horses and can be fed by half a basket of grass and a piece of bean cake. , the cost is much lower than raising horses. Therefore, the calculating caravan leaders are all willing to get mules.

But a caravan, no matter how big or small, cannot be all mules. It must have at least one or two horses. Although mules are better than horses in other aspects, they are extremely less courageous. When walking in the wild mountains, you will inevitably encounter dangers. Mules are slow to react and lack the courage and wisdom to deal with crises. The horses have to take the lead to escape, and the mules will follow the horses to escape. The horse is the backbone of the mule at critical moments.

The old horse Wei Ni is an outstanding leading horse and has served in our caravan in Manguangnong Village for more than ten years. According to the caravan leader Zhao Guangdui, Wei Ni saved the caravan twice.

The first time was when the caravan was resting and tipping by the Daluo River. As soon as they took off their pack saddles, two big bears, a male and a female, jumped out from a patch of reeds by the river. The mules were so frightened that they fell down. He couldn't get up from the ground, waiting for the bears to kill him; Whinney screamed, raised his front hooves and kicked hard at the bears. He dealt with the two big bears alone for about ten minutes, until the horse driver heard the news and arrived.

The second time was when the caravan was crossing the Liusha River. They were walking in thigh-deep water and had just arrived in the middle of the river. Suddenly, there was a thunderous roar from upstream. It's the flood season, and the peak of the flood is about to arrive. There are high mountains and steep river beds. In the blink of an eye, the river water surges to more than one meter deep, submerging the backs of the mules and horses. This is still Hong Feng's small test of his edge. It won't take more than a few minutes. , the waves will flow down overwhelmingly, swallowing up everything like a demon. The mules were so panicked that no matter how much the driver shouted or whipped them, they could only spin in place like a top. At the critical moment, Whinney neighed again, his mane flew, water splashed, and he ran desperately towards the other side; the power of example is infinite, the mules looked up and saw the Big Dipper like they were lost in the dark night, and followed Whinney. Quickly landed ashore. When I looked back, there was already a vast ocean in the middle of the river with turbid waves rolling over it.

When I was transferred to the caravan team of Manguangnongzhai, Wei Ni was already eighteen years old. A person is like a flower when he is eighteen, but a horse is like dregs when he is eighteen. Its purple-brown fur has lost its luster, its mane is mottled, and its spine is sunken, like a waning moon that lacks beauty. Its eyes are constantly secreting turbid yellow eye droppings, attracting a swarm of flies to fly around its horse face, like Like a string of planets orbiting a star regularly.

Not only does it look haggard and old, but its leg strength is no longer good. Not to mention carrying heavy cargo, even if a wooden empty cargo saddle is placed on its back, it will lose its legs after walking for a long time. Shiver.

But Zhao Guangdui still couldn't bear to retire it. He said: "With Wennie here, I feel strong and dare to walk on the dangerous road. It can't carry anything, so let it be empty." Dress up and go."

Spring is the busy season for caravan transportation, and we set off to send a batch of Jingdezhen porcelain to Mengpeng, Myanmar. On the way, we have to cross Ganong Mountain. This is a rocky mountain with karst landforms. A path of only one meter wide is cut out between the cliffs. On the left is a hundred-foot abyss, and on the right is a steep cliff, about a mile long. The terrain is very precipitous, like walking on a suspended tightrope. , the name is called Guijianchou. Not to mention mules and horses, people would be frightened walking on it.

Several mules were crowded at the Guijianchou intersection, cowering and not daring to move forward no matter how hard they pushed. Zhao Guangshuan led Weini into Guijianchou, and the mules followed him tremblingly.

Weenie is indeed an experienced leading horse. He has a calm demeanor and is neither impatient nor impatient. He walks forward step by step along the winding trail. Its stability and caution are like a highly effective sedative, making the whole team of mules and horses feel as calm as if they were leisurely strolling on the flat grassland.

Soon, we will have to complete the dangerous journey of one mile. Zhao Guangshuo held Wei Ni's hand, and he was only a few steps away from the ghost. At this moment, suddenly, a cold wind came from the intersection, mixed with a strong fishy smell.

I followed Whinney, and I could see clearly that his mane, which was like wild grass, stood up suddenly, his tail that drooped between his crotches was lifted straight to the ground, his head bounced high, and his turbid eyes were filled with shock. The upper and lower lips were bright and wrinkled, and the holes were misaligned. Apparently, it had discovered the danger that made it extremely frightened, and it was about to scream an alarm loudly.

My heart suddenly rose to my throat. As soon as it neighs, the more than 30 mules behind it who are only looking at the horse will definitely turn around and run away. They are carrying tall and large cargo saddles. Let alone turning around, if they turn around even slightly, the cargo saddles will hit the cliff and inevitably be ejected from the catwalk and fall into the abyss. In the chaos, it is very likely that the horse drivers caught in the middle will also be squeezed off the cliff!

The leader of the caravan summoned the light, flicked his eyes and quick-handed, and grabbed the reins. He tightened his bridle and forced Winnie to swallow the hissing sound that came to his tongue.

In the thatch at the exit of Guijianchou, a patch of colorful and dark grass flashed, and from deep in the dark grass, a pair of greedy and hungry big copper bell eyes shot two hard and sharp lights.

Oh, there is a roadblock ahead!

Our situation is extremely dangerous and it is impossible to retreat. Although we have several shotguns with us, we dare not use them. When the gunshots are fired, the mules will be frightened and explode, and the consequences will be disastrous.

Weenie twisted his neck and kicked his front legs, trying his best to turn around and retreat out of instinctive fear. Although the mules following behind didn't know what was going on, they sensed some kind of threat approaching from Old Maweeny's panicked expression and movements, so they all stopped in unison, raising their manes and tails. Looking around in panic.

A group of frightened birds. The building is about to collapse. A critical moment.

Zhao Guangshui put his arm around the horse's neck and tried his best to keep Wei Ni quiet. He stroked his hands back and forth on its back and chest, pressing his human face against the horse's face, rubbing it over and over again.

"My Whinney, oh, my old Whinney, oh, my good Whinney, now only you can save the whole gang. You are a good and loyal horse, you know What should you do now? I can only count on you, my good Wei Ni." Zhao Guang said affectionately in Wei Ni's ear.

Oddly enough, old horse Whinney seemed to understand what he said, and his mood slowly calmed down. He no longer raised his mane and neighed, nor jumped around; he lowered his head and stared at the ground. , just like a philosopher meditating: it slowly raised its head again, its face was firm and steady, and seemed to contain a trace of helpless sadness.

"Go, my good Weenie." Zhaoguang threw the horse's butt and patted it twice.

Old Maweeny's eyes were wet, he shook his mane and stepped forward.

I don’t know what kind of mood a life will feel when it goes to the tiger’s mouth, to the abyss, to destruction, to hell. All I saw was old Maweeny trotting without neighing or turning, calmly passing through the clumps of thatch at the intersection of Guijianchou. The miserable wind and the strong fishy smell also gradually followed old Maweeny away.

The entire caravan passed Guijianchou safely, and when they walked down Shanqing, they heard the roar of tigers and the mournful cry of horses in the distance.

Female horse

"Female" means female and mother. It is used for animals, such as cows and chickens, which is a bit bookish. In Manguangnong Village where I jumped in line, all other animals, such as cows and hens, are called "hens", but only female horses are called mare. For whatever reason, I haven't verified it.

This is a beautiful and strong mare with a mouth that has just turned three years old. Its whole body is gray and white, as if it was pinched out of clouds: its long mane is flowing, its limbs are slender, and its legs are curved with tendons. It's like hiding a nest of little white mice; it runs as light as flying, especially the white tail, with strands flying like snow dust, dancing with a youthful charm. Its name is Xiaoxue. As the saying goes, beauty is bad for life, and animals are no exception. Xiaoxue gave birth to a dead foal for the first time. We don't. Despite its neighing protest, the foal, which had died in its mother's womb, was forcibly taken out of the stable and buried.

Unexpectedly, this brought disastrous consequences to the female horse Xiaoxue.

At first, it refused to eat or drink, and screamed loudly day and night, making the whole village restless. Later, when it was released from the stable, when it saw other mares with cubs, it chased after them like crazy, biting and kicking them desperately. The foal hugged another "person" and kissed and licked it, causing the horse to panic; when it was asked to hitch a cart, it twisted its neck to pull the cart into the ditch; when it was asked to carry the load, it sullenly headed toward the bushes. It was stuck in the bushes, and no one could control it; its body was sloppy, except for its four breasts, and it was skinny and skinny.

A week later, the leader of the caravan, Zhao Guangshuan, said to me with a melancholy look: "If Xiao Xiaoxue keeps doing this, I'm afraid he will end up in the slaughterhouse sooner or later. Take him to the livestock market, Jie Zitian." Sell ??it, so that the caravan can reduce its losses. If it changes its environment, its madness may be cured."

I led Xiaoxue to the bustling street. A red pony like a ball of flame flashed out in front of me. Xiaoxue jumped forward unexpectedly. I was not prepared, and the reins slipped from my hands. It ran to the red pony and spread its legs to feed the red pony, regardless of whether it was wanted or not. The owner of the red pony mistakenly thought that it was going to hurt the red pony by kicking him, so he raised the whip in his hand and struck Xiaoxue hard on the head like an enemy. With a bang, Xiaoxue's left ear was split in half. It hissed wildly, fled, and fled into the Daheishan Mountains in the blink of an eye.

Although it is a crazy horse, it is worth at least several hundred dollars. How can I, a poor educated youth, afford to pay for it? I had no choice but to muster up the courage to chase into Daheishan.

Daheishan is a nature reserve with towering ancient trees and dense vines, and there are no roads at all. I followed the faintly discernible horse hoof prints on the soft mud, one foot high and one foot low, until the sky was dark, and then I caught Xiaoxue eating green grass in a ditch.

What’s terrible is that when it gets dark, I can’t tell the difference between east, west, north and south. I have been holding the reins for several hours, but I still haven’t gotten out of the maze-like Black Mountain. God also came to help, and it started to rain. The road was muddy and slippery, and I couldn't walk any further. I had to find a flat place, tied Xiaoxue to a small tree, and prepared to wait until dawn before walking.

The rain fell harder and harder, and the raindrops penetrated the thick layer of leaves, dripping wet my thin clothes. The cold wind hit me and I got goosebumps all over my body. The bowl of rice noodles I had in the morning had already been digested without a trace. Being hungry and cold, and then being soaked by the rain, I was afraid that I would get typhoid fever.

There was no place to hide from the rain, and I didn’t have the guts to crawl around in the dark in the old forest looking for a place to hide from the rain. I had no choice but to lie down under the horse’s belly and let Xiaoxue act as an umbrella. Use its body to protect you from the rain.

The rain kept falling and the wind blew. Gradually, I felt cold to the bones. My whole body was shaking, my head felt dizzy, and then it became swollen and painful. I can't hold on any longer.

If I continue to be hungry, I’m afraid I will faint and die here. I must get something to eat. But where to find food? I suddenly remembered the scene when Xiaoxue spread her legs to feed the red pony. Maybe I could squeeze some mare's milk to satisfy my hunger and keep out the cold, so as not to fall ill. I patted the horse's belly. Well, Xiaoxue, you are the only one who can help me now. I groped for the nipple and squeezed it, and a stream of warm, sticky and thick milk flowed into my mouth. In the darkness, I felt Xiaoxue meekly open her legs, and then, motionless, she let me suck her milk.

Mare milk is sweet and fragrant with a slight fishy smell. I drank it greedily. Gradually, the chilly night wind blew on my body, and I no longer felt as bone-chilling as before.

I drank to my fill and fell asleep. Xiaoxue turned around, licked my hair, bent her knees, lay on the ground, and pulled me into its warm embrace. I lay on the horse's legs and fell asleep.

Something was licking my face, which woke me up. When I opened my eyes, it was already dawn. The rain had stopped long ago, and the sunlight penetrated the leaves and shot thousands of golden arrows. Xiaoxue stood in front of me, spread her legs and fed me milk once more, then bit my collar and helped me up from the ground.

I thought it was time for me to ride my horse home, but after soaking in the water all night, the bones in my body hurt as if they were about to break, and my legs were as soft as if they were made of wet mud. I worked hard. He failed to climb on the horse several times. Xiaoxue turned to look at me melancholy, knelt down and let me climb on its back. Then it slowly stood up and carried me forward cautiously. It walks very steadily, going uphill and downhill, trying to slow down as much as possible to reduce bumps.

I lay on the back of the horse with my hands around its neck. In a daze, I had an illusion, as if I was back in childhood, sleeping on my mother's back...

< p>After that, the female horse Xiaoxue miraculously recovered from her madness. It no longer neighs and moans day and night, nor does it impulsively rush to other people's foals when it sees them; whether it is being asked to harness a cart or to carry a load, it obeys orders in a well-behaved manner.

It only retains a harmless hobby, which is to see me and lick my hair twice every morning and evening. If he doesn't see me in the morning, he refuses to eat or work; if he doesn't see me in the evening, he won't enter the stable and neighs one after another.

I am grateful that it once saved me, and I always try my best to satisfy its strange habit. Soon, Xiaoxue became fat, strong, smooth, and turned into a beautiful and strong mare.

The leader of the caravan, who had been raising horses for more than 40 years, said to me jokingly: "You have eaten Xiaoxue's milk, and he regards you as his son. "

It wasn't until the spring of the next year that Xiaoxue gave birth to a lively foal that her relationship with me gradually became colder.

Sin Horse

This is a rare and vicious accident that makes people shudder.

The Sunshine Circus performed in a village called Heihu Tomb in Ailao Mountain. As usual, after the performance convoy entered the village in the afternoon, the actors leveled the field on the lawn at the entrance of the village, then built a steel frame and set up a huge tent.

The circus is no different from other theater troupes. Other theater troupes, whether music, opera or song and dance, can perform on simple earthen stages in rural areas, or use threshing floors as open-air stages. The circus is not so convenient. Many difficult acrobatic shows, especially circus shows performed by animal actors, must be performed in large tent theaters.

After the tent theater was set up, lights, scenery and sound were arranged. Everything was in place, and it was already dark. The actors did not take time to rest, so they quickly put on makeup and led their domesticated animal actors to hurriedly walk on the stage to familiarize themselves with the environment and then perform on stage.

The beginning was quite smooth. The tiger danced through the fire hoop, the man-bear ballroom danced, and the twins walked the tightrope. Several programs were performed very well without any mistakes.

According to the order on the program list, it is actor Ma's turn to perform.

Animal trainer and equestrian performer Lou Ajia was very excited that day. In his own words, going to Black Tiger Tomb was like returning to his hometown. His parents were sent from Kunming to Heihu Tomb for labor reform during the Cultural Revolution. Later, they married and started a family at Heihu's family, and gave birth to him in Heihu Tomb. He lived in Heihu Tomb for twelve years, and it was not until 1982 that he went to Kunming with his parents who implemented the policy.

Although we have been away for nearly twenty years, the villagers still remember Lou Ajia. As soon as he stepped into the Black Tiger Tomb, many old people gathered around him and held his hand to greet him. Many childhood friends of a similar age rushed to invite him to their home for a drink and a chat after the performance. The strong nostalgia made him extremely excited.

Perhaps out of nostalgia for the hometown where he was born and raised, or perhaps because he wanted to thank his father and fellow villagers for their love, Lou Ajia acted particularly hard.

Wearing a rose-red performance suit, shiny riding boots, and a sapphire blue tie, he led six tall, snow-white horses and ran into the venue majestically.

He held a large colored ball woven with ribbons and made various dancing postures. As his dancing posture changed, the white horses with golden saddles and silver bridles in red and green changed into various formations. Suddenly the horse behind steps on the back of the horse in front, and each horse walks on its two hind legs, forming a small circle; suddenly it gallops tail to tail, and the horse behind bites the tail of the horse in front, forming a large, fast-moving horse. Circles; suddenly out of square, diamond or triangular patterns, the entire venue is colorful, like a flowing garland, which is dizzying.