Chapter Four: Mascot Peruna Begins His Training
Mr. Culwell and the boys praised and petted the
Baby Pony, whose name was now Peruna. After they had gone, Peruna trotted
happily all over the pasture, looking for his mother. It took a long time to
find her.
The ponies had already stopped grazing, for the sun was very warm. The colts and their mothers were dreaming under the big shade trees. They swished their tails at the flies even when they were dozing.
Peruna was very excited. He ran here and there, looking for his mother. He trotted through the woods. He pranced over the hill, and there he found her.
Shorty was standing alongside a much bigger pony under an oak tree. She was standing with her head at the other pony’s tail. The other pony was standing so his tail was at Shorty’s head. They kept swishing their tails at the buzzing flies.
Peruna gave a big snort. Then he galloped to his mother. “Guess what?” he whinnied. “I’m going to be a circus pony!”
Shorty had been half-asleep. Now her eyes popped wide open. Her nostrils quivered with excitement. “Circus pony!” she whinnied. But no – Shorty couldn’t believe it. Her tin son could never be strong enough to be a circus pony. What ever made him think that such a thing could be true?
The big pony near her reared on his hind legs. Then he ran in circles around Peruna. He was excited too. The ponies and colts dozing in the shade of trees awoke with a start. And they galloped toward Shorty and Peruna. They forgot about the hot sun and biting flies. They all wanted to see the little “runt” that was going to be a circus pony.
But when they got there, they started snorting at the little fellow again. They didn’t believe anything he said! They thought he was making it all up!
Poor Shorty didn’t know what to think. She wanted to be proud of her wee son. But she thought he must have made a mistake. She didn’t see how such a little pony could get to be a circus pony.
Peruna whinnied and pawed the ground to tell all of them the wonderful things that had happened to him. But one by one, the other ponies and colts picked up their heels and snorted and galloped away.
Peruna went right on whinnying to his mother to make her believe him. But Shorty just didn’t know what to believe. She licked his forehead gently, as if he were still a tiny baby. “Yes, son,” she whickered softly. “Yes, son.”
The next morning Peruna galloped away from his mother in the paddock. The big pony colts made fun of him again. He whinnied and stamped and boasted, but they still wouldn’t believe that what he said was true.
Then, all at once, there came Cully and Jim!
They came right into the paddock and they called, “Peruna! Peruna!”
Peruna trotted to them proudly.
“See?” he whinnied back to the other colts. “I told you so!” The big colts all stared in great surprise.
The two boys leaned down and patted Peruna. “You’re a real smart guy,” Jim said, “to know your name already.”
Cully took hold of Peruna’s forelock and led him out of the paddock and into the ring.
For a long time the boys trained the tiny pony, and Peruna learned fast. But finally he became tired. He didn’t want to learn any more tricks that day.
Jim ordered Peruna to lie on his back and play that he was “dead.” But Peruna stamped his hoofs. So Jim gave him a light touch of the whip. Peruna whirled around and nipped at Jim’s arm. “Why, you little scamp!” Jim said.
“Gee whiz, what made him do that?” asked Cully. “We can’t let Dad know about this.”
“I guess we’ve worked him too hard,” Jim said. “Lets quit for today.”
Peruna was sorry he’d nipped at Jim. He nuzzled Jim’s hand to say he was sorry. And also to ask for sugar!
Jim reached in his pocket and pulled out a lump of sugar. He patted Peruna and they were friends again.
The boys took the little black colt through the fence gate. Peruna kicked up his heels as the delicious sugar melted on his tongue. It tasted so good. He galloped over to brag to the other colts about what had happened to him today. Maybe they would believe him now!
“he’s too tired to learn his lessons,” smiled Cully. “But he’s not too tired to play! Look at him! Cutting all kinds of capers out there!”
“Peruna’s just like any kid,” said Jim. “what kid’s ever too tired to play?” And he laughed.
That evening Peruna bragged and bragged to his mother. Shorty was beginning to believe that something nice was really happening to her small son, and she was happy about it. But she still didn’t understand what it could be.
The next day, Cully and Jim trained Peruna again. And when they took him back to the stable, they led him to the stall next to Shorty’s.
“Its time you’re getting along without your mother,” Cully told him. “Why, you’re about as big as you’ll ever get – you know that? You’re twenty-eight inches high and you weigh nearly a hundred pounds, little fellow.”
Peruna looked puzzled. He nickered to beg them to put him in with his mother.
“Nope,” Jim said, shaking his head. “From now on, you’re going to have your own room.” And he coaxed the pony into the strange box stall.
Peruna didn’t like being away from his mother at night. After he’d eaten his supper of oats and hay, he neighed for Shorty. All through the night, he called to his mother, and she called back to him.
In the morning, Peruna was tired. No wonder! He had hardly slept at all. The boys decided to let him stay with Shorty in the paddock all day. And that night, when Peruna was led back to the stable, he saw a big sign hanging on his new stall’s door. The sign was painted blue. And his name “PERUNA,” was painted on it in big red letters!
Peruna stood and blinked at the beautiful sign. Then he gave his tail a jaunty swish, and walked right into the stall.
Blue and red! Those were the colors of Southern Methodist University! Shorty could see the sign from her stall right next door. And now she understood the glory and honor that had come to her tiny son.
He was going to be a mascot! He was going to be the mascot of Southern Methodist University and its fine teams! Shorty’s colts had been mascots for S.M.U. before. But they hadn’t been midgets. They had been full-size grown-up ponies. And Shorty had never supposed that a wee-colt, who would never grow up, could get to be a mascot. But now she knew that her own wee black midget colt had won that big honor.
That night Shorty told her little son all she knew about mascots. She neighed and nickered through the cracks in the partition between their stalls.
“A mascot,” she told him joyfully, “is an animal that brings good luck to a school team. And when the people at the football or basketball games see the mascot do his tricks, they clap their hands and cheer him.”
“That’s what they do when the circus ponies do their stunts,” whinnied Peruna.
“That’s right, son,” Shorty nickered. “And a mascot keeps his team feeling happy, so that they’ll fight their best to win every game. That’s what you’ll do for S.M.U.’s football and basketball teams. And you’ll learn all about football and basketball when you get there.”
“Gee,” neighed Peruna, “seems like I‘ll have a lot to keep me busy.”
“Well, I should say so!” his mother said. “You’re going to be an important little fellow.” And Shorty felt very, very proud.
The ponies had already stopped grazing, for the sun was very warm. The colts and their mothers were dreaming under the big shade trees. They swished their tails at the flies even when they were dozing.
Peruna was very excited. He ran here and there, looking for his mother. He trotted through the woods. He pranced over the hill, and there he found her.
Shorty was standing alongside a much bigger pony under an oak tree. She was standing with her head at the other pony’s tail. The other pony was standing so his tail was at Shorty’s head. They kept swishing their tails at the buzzing flies.
Peruna gave a big snort. Then he galloped to his mother. “Guess what?” he whinnied. “I’m going to be a circus pony!”
Shorty had been half-asleep. Now her eyes popped wide open. Her nostrils quivered with excitement. “Circus pony!” she whinnied. But no – Shorty couldn’t believe it. Her tin son could never be strong enough to be a circus pony. What ever made him think that such a thing could be true?
The big pony near her reared on his hind legs. Then he ran in circles around Peruna. He was excited too. The ponies and colts dozing in the shade of trees awoke with a start. And they galloped toward Shorty and Peruna. They forgot about the hot sun and biting flies. They all wanted to see the little “runt” that was going to be a circus pony.
But when they got there, they started snorting at the little fellow again. They didn’t believe anything he said! They thought he was making it all up!
Poor Shorty didn’t know what to think. She wanted to be proud of her wee son. But she thought he must have made a mistake. She didn’t see how such a little pony could get to be a circus pony.
Peruna whinnied and pawed the ground to tell all of them the wonderful things that had happened to him. But one by one, the other ponies and colts picked up their heels and snorted and galloped away.
Peruna went right on whinnying to his mother to make her believe him. But Shorty just didn’t know what to believe. She licked his forehead gently, as if he were still a tiny baby. “Yes, son,” she whickered softly. “Yes, son.”
The next morning Peruna galloped away from his mother in the paddock. The big pony colts made fun of him again. He whinnied and stamped and boasted, but they still wouldn’t believe that what he said was true.
Then, all at once, there came Cully and Jim!
They came right into the paddock and they called, “Peruna! Peruna!”
Peruna trotted to them proudly.
“See?” he whinnied back to the other colts. “I told you so!” The big colts all stared in great surprise.
The two boys leaned down and patted Peruna. “You’re a real smart guy,” Jim said, “to know your name already.”
Cully took hold of Peruna’s forelock and led him out of the paddock and into the ring.
For a long time the boys trained the tiny pony, and Peruna learned fast. But finally he became tired. He didn’t want to learn any more tricks that day.
Jim ordered Peruna to lie on his back and play that he was “dead.” But Peruna stamped his hoofs. So Jim gave him a light touch of the whip. Peruna whirled around and nipped at Jim’s arm. “Why, you little scamp!” Jim said.
“Gee whiz, what made him do that?” asked Cully. “We can’t let Dad know about this.”
“I guess we’ve worked him too hard,” Jim said. “Lets quit for today.”
Peruna was sorry he’d nipped at Jim. He nuzzled Jim’s hand to say he was sorry. And also to ask for sugar!
Jim reached in his pocket and pulled out a lump of sugar. He patted Peruna and they were friends again.
The boys took the little black colt through the fence gate. Peruna kicked up his heels as the delicious sugar melted on his tongue. It tasted so good. He galloped over to brag to the other colts about what had happened to him today. Maybe they would believe him now!
“he’s too tired to learn his lessons,” smiled Cully. “But he’s not too tired to play! Look at him! Cutting all kinds of capers out there!”
“Peruna’s just like any kid,” said Jim. “what kid’s ever too tired to play?” And he laughed.
That evening Peruna bragged and bragged to his mother. Shorty was beginning to believe that something nice was really happening to her small son, and she was happy about it. But she still didn’t understand what it could be.
The next day, Cully and Jim trained Peruna again. And when they took him back to the stable, they led him to the stall next to Shorty’s.
“Its time you’re getting along without your mother,” Cully told him. “Why, you’re about as big as you’ll ever get – you know that? You’re twenty-eight inches high and you weigh nearly a hundred pounds, little fellow.”
Peruna looked puzzled. He nickered to beg them to put him in with his mother.
“Nope,” Jim said, shaking his head. “From now on, you’re going to have your own room.” And he coaxed the pony into the strange box stall.
Peruna didn’t like being away from his mother at night. After he’d eaten his supper of oats and hay, he neighed for Shorty. All through the night, he called to his mother, and she called back to him.
In the morning, Peruna was tired. No wonder! He had hardly slept at all. The boys decided to let him stay with Shorty in the paddock all day. And that night, when Peruna was led back to the stable, he saw a big sign hanging on his new stall’s door. The sign was painted blue. And his name “PERUNA,” was painted on it in big red letters!
Peruna stood and blinked at the beautiful sign. Then he gave his tail a jaunty swish, and walked right into the stall.
Blue and red! Those were the colors of Southern Methodist University! Shorty could see the sign from her stall right next door. And now she understood the glory and honor that had come to her tiny son.
He was going to be a mascot! He was going to be the mascot of Southern Methodist University and its fine teams! Shorty’s colts had been mascots for S.M.U. before. But they hadn’t been midgets. They had been full-size grown-up ponies. And Shorty had never supposed that a wee-colt, who would never grow up, could get to be a mascot. But now she knew that her own wee black midget colt had won that big honor.
That night Shorty told her little son all she knew about mascots. She neighed and nickered through the cracks in the partition between their stalls.
“A mascot,” she told him joyfully, “is an animal that brings good luck to a school team. And when the people at the football or basketball games see the mascot do his tricks, they clap their hands and cheer him.”
“That’s what they do when the circus ponies do their stunts,” whinnied Peruna.
“That’s right, son,” Shorty nickered. “And a mascot keeps his team feeling happy, so that they’ll fight their best to win every game. That’s what you’ll do for S.M.U.’s football and basketball teams. And you’ll learn all about football and basketball when you get there.”
“Gee,” neighed Peruna, “seems like I‘ll have a lot to keep me busy.”
“Well, I should say so!” his mother said. “You’re going to be an important little fellow.” And Shorty felt very, very proud.