Deep Dive Into Jane Lee

Misty of Chincoteague- Marguerite Henry

This book was…interesting- and not only in the aspects of a story.

But let’s back up for a bit- let me tell you briefly what the story is:

So, two siblings, Paul and Maureen, want to tame a wild horse known as the phantom, because they want a horse of their own. Then on a special day called Pony Penning day, Paul goes and manages to capture the phantom- which is a female by the way- and her newborn colt. The people call her Misty, and lots of things happen that prevent Paul and Maureen from buying the horse and colt, but they manage to and its all swell and good in the end.

To be frank, this book wasn’t as amazing as I thought it would be. I mean, sure, the story was amazing, and the dialogue, description was great, and it DID get a Nobel prize, but it wasn’t…how do I say this- new?

And for a while, I just left it as- simple, nice, fairly easy reading book. Pleasant breezy read.

But then I realized writing about how easy and simple it was wasn’t going to fill up a page, or maybe a page and a half. So I started to think. Was there perhaps a deeper meaning?

And I think I found it, (or perhaps I took what was wrong and made that a moral of how not to think) so here it goes.

The wild belongs in the wild.

I know, I know. For readers who have read this book, you probably know that setting the Phantom free in the end wasn’t the main point of the book- the main plot was the two siblings trying to foolishly, stupidly capture a wild, beautiful beast- with only the heart to OWN a horse. But other than that part, I can see no other right things they say or do.

I am very sorry. I hate the two kids.

The fact that they’re depicted as angels are horrific- their unjust, prejudiced world seems so, ‘adultlike’ to them, and its just way to horrifying. And it’s just as horrific as these lines.

…”Those little fellows,” nodded the chief, “are old enough to fend for themselves. Separating them from their mothers is the kindest way we know to teach them how.”

Paul and Maureen reddened. They felt very young and foolish as they thanked the fire chief for explaining things.

This is absolute nonsense.

I’m sorry. This is absolute nonsense.

Also, this is prejudice. HUMAN prejudice. Paul and Maureen, you know why the humans ACTUALLY separate the colts at that age? So that they can earn more money. Read the facts as I state them right now.

(From a website called Science Direct)

“Under natural conditions, foals stop nursing from their dam at approximately-9 months old, but their bond persists until 1.5–2.5 years of age. In contrast, in horse breeding, foals are generally artificially weaned and totally separated from their dam at 5–7 months.”

They weren’t meant to be removed from their parents- in the natural world- they get to live with them more- and with a NATURAL shift- not an abrupt, and sudden one.

I keep on talking about this… naturalness- and it’s true. A wild horse will naturally want to be with the wild. A beast will always bite when threatened, or do whatever they have to do to survive, to live.

And yet, funnily, we paint them as villains of the story, the big bad wolves, while we, are killing of innocent pigs and birds and cows every single day.

In this story, it is basically, a triumphant story of how two children manage to tame the wild- or almost tame the wild. Even if the author did not mean it like that, that is what it implies.  

The only difference between us, and them, is that they eat us, and we eat ‘eatable’ animals.

The stupidity of us all, is sometimes truly astonishing.

The real moral of this story? Leave the wild alone- and it won’t bother you.

Also, look at the mirror before you start blaming the big baddies of the beast world on apparently, destroying our kind. You might just find yourself soaked with who knows what blood.