← Danger in the Pool
Neptunes new Horse
Posted on December 7, 2010 by Jim
NEPTUNES NEW HORSE
SLOWCOACH SWAM AROUND THE SECRET POOL HE WAS MISSING HIS LITTLE FRIEND TAYNE
WHO HAD NOT BEEN DOWN TO VISIT HIM AT THE POOL FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I WONDER WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM, I HOPE HE IS ALRIGHT HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF.
JUST AS THESE THOUGHTS WERE GOING THROUGH HIS MIND TWO SHADOWS APPEARED ON THE
SURFACE, LOOKING DOWN INTO THE WATER THERE WAS TAYNE AND HIS GRANDPA.
“THERE HE IS!” TAYNE CALLED. “I TOLD YOU HE WOULD STILL BE HERE” REPLIED GRANDPA.
THEY WATCHED ALL THE LITTLE CREATURES PLAYING IN THE POOL UNTIL THE TIDE STARTED TO
COME IN, THEY QUICKLY MADE THEIR WAY TO THE SHORE BEFORE THEY WERE CUT OFF BY
THE WATER SURROUNDING THEM.
“I WILL SEE YOU LATER” TAYNE CALLED TO SLOWCOACH WHO GAVE A FLICK OF HIS TAIL AND A NOD OF
HIS HEAD IN REPLY, BEFORE MAKING HIS WAY INTO THE SEAWEED AND SAFETY.
LATER THAT NIGHT TAYNE WENT TO BED AND WAS SOON SOUND ASLEEP, ONCE AGAIN HE
ENTERED THE POOL WHERE SLOWCOACH WAS WAITING FOR HIM.
“IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I LAST SAW YOU, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” ASKED HIS FRIEND.
HE THEN EXPLAINED THAT HIS GRANDPA SAID HE COULD NOT VISIT THE POOL IN WINTER BECAUSE
OF THE GALES AND ROUGH SEAS, SO HE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL SUMMER WHEN IT WAS FINE
AND SUNNY.
SLOWCOACH LISTENED INTENTLY TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY AND AGREED WITH THE ADVICE THAT
HAD BEEN GIVEN BY HIS GRANDPA.
“FOLLOW ME, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU AND SOME NEW FRIENDS FOR YOU TO MEET”
TAYNE WAS DELIGHTED TO HEAR THIS AS HE REALLY LIKED TO MEET NEW FRIENDS AND DISCOVER
MORE SECRETS OF THE POOL. HE COULD NOT HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THE SEAHORSE HAD
GROWN MUCH BIGGER SINCE HE HAD LAST SEEN HIM, REMARKING ON THIS SLOWCOACH
REPLIED “YES I WILL SOON BE BIG ENOUGH TO CARRY KING NEPTUNE ON MY BACK IF HE
WILL HAVE ME, HIS OLD HORSE IS NOT AS FIT AS HE USED TO BE, BUT I WILL JUST HAVE TO
WAIT AND SEE WHAT HIS DECISION IS.”
“DOES THAT MEAN THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOU AGAIN” ASKED A WORRIED LITTLE BOY.
“NO!, IT WILL BE EVEN BETTER AS KING NEPTUNE WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW AND EXPLAIN ALL THE
WONDERS OF THE DEEP TO YOU MUCH BETTER THAN I COULD.” ANSWERED SLOWCOACH.
TAYNE WAS VERY RELIEVED TO HEAR THIS AS HE WOULD MISS NOT BEING ABLE TO VISIT THE POOL
AND MEETING ALL HIS NEW FRIENDS.
“ CAN WE GO AND VISIT LARRY” HE ASKED SLOWCOACH.
“I’M AFRAID WE CAN’T HE WENT OUT INTO THE DEEP WATER FOR THE WINTER IN CASE HE GOT HURT BY
THE WAVES BREAKING ON THE ROCKS AND TO SEARCH FOR SOME FOOD, BUT HE WILL BE BACK
SOON, THEN WE CAN GO AND VISIT HIM WHEN HE RETURNS.” SAID SLOWCOACH,
AS THEY MADE THEIR WAY ACROSS THE BOTTOM.TAYNE NOTICED SOMETHING LYING ON THE SAND.
IT WAS A SHELL, ROUND IN SHAPE WITH RIDGES ON THE BACK. “WHAT IS THAT?”, HE ASKED
AS HE TOUCHED IT WITH HIS HAND. SUDDENLY IT FLEW OFF THE BOTTOM, THEN SETTLED
DOWN ON THE SAND AGAIN.
“LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO SUSIE THE SCALLOP” SAID SLOWCOACH. “SHE VISITS US ABOUT ONCE A
YEAR DURING THE WINTER GALES.” SUSIE OPENED UP HER SHELLS LOOKING DOUBTFULLY AT THE
LITTLE BOY WHO WAS STILL TRYING TO GET OVER THE SHOCK OF HER SUDDEN FLIGHT. “I’M SORRY IF I
FRIGHTENED YOU” HE SAID TO HER, I DID NOT MEAN TO.” SLOWCOACH EXPLAINED TO HER ABOUT
TAYNE AND AFTER THAT THEY BECAME FRIENDS TO A MUCH RELIEVED BOY.
AFTER LEAVING SUSIE, THEY NOTICED A WEAVING LINE IN THE SAND ON THE BOTTOM. “I
SEE HORATIO IS ON THE MOVE AGAIN” REMARKED SLOWCOACH, “WE MAY SEE HIM LATER.”
SUDDENLY OUT OF A TINY HOLE IN THE SAND A TINY HEAD APPEARED, “HELLO TAYNE” SAID
A SQUEEKY VOICE, HE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNISED SAMMY, “IT’S A LONG TIME SINCE WE
HAVE HAD A VISIT FROM YOU” SAID SAMMY HIS HEAD BOBBING UP AND DOWN IN THE HOLE,
ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DANGER. TAYNE WAS ALWAYS AMUSED TO SEE HIM DO
THIS AND HE WAS ONE OF HIS FAVOURITES IN THE POOL. “HELLO SAMMY” HE CRIED AND
TOLD HIM WHY IT HAD BEEN SO LONG SINCE HE HAD BEEN TO THE POOL. “YOUR GRANDPA
IS QUITE RIGHT, IT IS FAR TOO COLD AND DANGEROUS IN THE WINTER TO COME HERE” SAID
SAMMY, AT THE SAME TIME DIGGING A NEW HOLE WITH HIS TAIL. WITH A QUICK GOODBYE
HE DISAPPEARED DOWN INTO HIS NEW HOME TAIL FIRST THEN BEGAN COVERING IT UP
WITH SAND SO THAT ONLY A TINY PAIR OF EYES WERE VISIBLE. “GOODBYE SAMMY, I WILL
SEE YOU THE NEXT TIME I COME TO THE POOL”. WITH A WAVE, THE TWO FRIENDS SWAM
INTO THE WEEDS TO THE PALACE OF KING NEPTUNE.
THE KING WAS SITTING ON HIS THRONE OF SHELLS AND ON SEEING THEM, BECKONED THEM
TO COME IN. AS HE STROKED HIS LONG WHITE BEARD HE SAID TO TAYNE “HAS SLOWCOACH
TOLD YOU THAT SOON HE WILL BE MY NEW HORSE”. “YES” HE REPLIED FEELING REALLY
HAPPY FOR HIS FRIEND THAT THIS HONOUR SHOULD BE GIVEN TO HIM AS THIS WAS THE
GREATEST AWARD THAT A SEAHORSE COULD BE GIVEN.”I AM GLAD YOU ARE PLEASED FOR
HIM, HE HAS GROWN UP AND WORKED VERY HARD SO IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO BE
REWARDED” SAID THE KING. TURNING TO SLOWCOACH HE PRESENTED HIM WITH A BRIDLE
AND REINS MADE FROM THE FINEST SEAWEED THAT COULD BE FOUND. SLOWCOACH WAS
DELIGHTED AND THANKED THE KING FOR HIS KINDNESS AND HE VOWED HE WOULD SERVE
THE KING TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY.” I’M SURE YOU WILL, AND THIS WILL MAKE NO
DIFFIRENCE TO YOU WHEN YOU COME TO VISIT US AT THE POOL TAYNE. INFACT I WILL HAVE
MORE TIME TO SPEND WITH YOU AND EXPLAIN ALL THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP TO YOU
AND SLOWCOACH.” WITH THAT THE KING DISMISSED THEM TO GO AND EXPLAIN TO HIS OLD
HORSE THAT HE COULD NOW RETIRE AND HAVE A WELL EARNED REST.AFTER LEAVING THE
PALACE SLOWCOACH TOLD TAYNE HE MUST GO AND SHOW HIS MUMMY AND DADDY THE
NEW BRIDLE AND REINS THE KING HAD PRESENTED TO HIM. THEY WILL BE REALLY PROUD
OF ME. “I AM SURE THEY WILL AND I AM PROUD OF YOU TOO. I WILL TELL MY GRANDPA ALL
ABOUT IT WHEN I SEE HIM” SAID TAYNE.
TAYNE AWOKE IN THE MORNING AND GOT DRESSED QUICKLY. LATER ON THAT DAY HE
WENT TO VISIT HIS GRANDPA AND TOLD HIM ALL ABOUT HIS LATEST ADVENTURE. WHEN
GRANDPA HEARD ABOUT SLOWCOACH BEING KING NEPTUNES NEW HORSE A SAD LOOK
CAME INTO HIS EYES. MY OLD FRIEND MUST BE GETTING TIRED NOW AND DESERVES A
REST HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF. HE REMEMBERED WHEN HIS FRIEND HAD BEEN GIVEN A
NEW SET OF REINS AND BRIDLE FROM THE KING LONG AGO WHEN HE HAD BEEN A LITTLE
BOY VISITING THE SECRET POOL. HE GAVE A SMILE AND TURNING TO TAYNE SAID “I AM
SURE MY OLD FRIEND WILL BE PROUD THAT HIS SON HAS TAKEN OVER THE REINS FROM
HIM”. TAYNE WAS TAKEN ABACK AS HE HAD NEVER KNOWN THAT NEPTUNES OLD HORSE
HAD BEEN SLOWCOACH’S DADDY.
Jim Campbell