I - GELDA
There was once a beautiful young maiden named Gelda. She lived with her parents in a small village not far from a great wilderness. Concerned for her safety, her parents warned her not to leave the village and forbade her from ever venturing into the wilderness. (It was mostly her mother who didn't want her to go there, but her father pretty much went along with anything her mother said.) But, being a headstrong young woman, she disregarded her parents wishes and often went exploring there anyway. One day, while on one of her excursions into the forbidden wilderness, she discovered a meadow that was filled with flying horses. They were wild and free, romping and playing, and flying above the treetops without a care in the world. She had never seen anything more beautiful. She came back to the meadow again and again, just to see the wild horses play and to watch them frolic through the air. She loved them more than anything in the world and she could imagine nothing more exciting than to ride on the back of one of those great steeds as he soared into the sky. She eventually noticed and became enamored with one in particular, a magnificent golden stallion with the fire of freedom in his eyes. He was the strongest, the most beautiful, and without a doubt the wildest of the bunch, and she was determined that one day he would be hers.
II - EQUUS INDOMITUS
Gelda had tried many times to get close to the golden stallion but each time he had regarded her with distrust and shied away. Then one day she came up with the idea of luring him with a big bunch of fresh carrots. Her plan worked like a charm and it wasn't long before she was standing right next to him as he munched the carrots. She reached out cautiously and stoked his mane as he ate. He shuddered and jerked his head around with a look of alarm in his eyes, and then went back to eating the carrots. (He may have been wild but he apparently had a weakness for carrots.) She continued to stroke his mane. "It's all right," she said quietly, "I won't hurt you." He turned and looked at her like he didn't believe her. "See," she said, "I brought you an apple too." She reached into her pocket, pulled out a juicy red apple, and held it out to him. He devoured it in one bite (he obviously liked apples too) and then just stood there staring at her. "My name is Gelda," she introduced herself, "What's yours?" He stood there considering her for a while as if he were trying to make up his mind whether or not he should speak, and then he finally answered her in a commanding voice. "I am Equus Indomitus," he said, "but you may call me Indomitus." "Indomitus?" she giggled, "That's kind of a long name, isn't it? I'll have to think of something shorter to call you." "I would prefer it if you called me Indomitus," he replied in a not particularly friendly tone. She just giggled again and patted his neck. He snorted at her and returned to his carrots.
III - INDOMITUS AND GELDA
As time went by Gelda returned to the meadow again and again just to see the great stallion Indomitus. She often brought him carrots and apples and other treats, and he gradually warmed up to her. In time he began to enjoy her company and to look forward to her visits, and they eventually became great friends. He even allowed her to ride on his back as he flew through the air, and as Gelda had imagined it was the greatest thrill of her life. Nothing could be more intoxicating than the feeling of soaring through the air on the back of such a wild and powerful beast. By this time the two had become almost inseparable and Indomitus had become so fond of Gelda that he would do almost anything to please her. This was the best time of their lives.
IV - INDOMITUS BECOMES DOMITUS
One time when Gelda came to visit Indomitus she couldn't find him anywhere. (He had been off exploring the wilderness with some of the other flying horses and had lost track of the time.) So she sat herself down on a large stone and waited for him to come back. She waited and waited, and while she waited she began to realize that as long as he was able to fly he could fly away from her anytime he wanted to. She could possibly lose him. This bothered her a great deal and she began to ponder what could be done about it. Finally she came up with an idea but she wasn't so sure he would like it. Sundown approached and it was time for her to go home, but he still hadn't returned from his frolic in the forest. When she left the meadow that day she was very disappointed, and determined to carry out her plan.
They didn't see each other for several days, but the next time she saw him she brought him another big bunch of carrots and two of the most beautiful apples he'd ever seen. He was very happy to see her and delighted with the treats she'd brought for him. She was happy to see him too but she was also anxious because she had a subject she wanted to bring up and didn't quite know how. Finally she got up enough nerve to ask him, "If there was something I wanted you to do, something I wanted very much, would you do it for me?" He wasn't sure what she was getting at but he assured her that he would do anything he could to make her happy. "Well then," she said timidly, "I'd like you to let me clip your wings." Well, he certainly didn't like that idea very much, but she coaxed and she coaxed and he finally agreed because after all, he had said that he would do anything he could to make her happy. Once he finally agreed she felt kind of guilty about it, but she went ahead and did it anyway. She clipped just enough off of his wings that he'd never be able to fly again, but not enough that anyone would ever be able to tell. When she was finished he just stood and stared at the feathers lying on the ground, and she wasn't sure but she thought she might have seen a tear in his eye. "Please don't feel bad," she tried to comfort him, "I've got a surprise for you." She quickly pulled out a halter and fastened it around his neck, and then led him to a clearing where she had built a beautiful corral for him. "See!" she exclaimed, "See what I built for you, so you'll always be safe!" Indomitus stood and regarded the corral for a moment. It certainly was beautiful, and well constructed too, but he didn't understand why it would be any better than living in the meadow with the other horses as he always had. "Well, I didn't build it all by myself," she admitted, "I told my father about you and he helped me. Of course I haven't told my mother about us. She wouldn't approve." Resigned to his fate (the fire in his eyes had been put out), he just shook his head and walked placidly into the corral. She closed the gate, then rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck, "Oh, my beautiful Domitus! You'll always be safe here. And you'll always be where I can find you. And you'll always be my Domitus. My pretty little Domi."
V - THE END OF DOMITUS
For a long time Gelda returned to the corral every day to visit her sweet Domitus. She frequently brought him treats, they always enjoyed their time together, and they both seemed reasonably happy. (At least Gelda was happy and that's what mattered to Domitus.) But, as time went on, Gelda found that she was becoming less and less interested in Domitus. She didn't really understand why, because she had either forgotten or never realized how much she had been attracted to his freedom, his wildness, and his ability to fly. Even riding on his back wasn't nearly as exciting now that he was no longer able to fly. She started coming to visit him less and less, and going to the meadow to watch the other flying horses more and more. They still had that wildness and the spirit of freedom that attracted and exhilarated her. And she loved to watch them fly. And she dreamed of once again riding on the back of a great flying steed. Nothing in the world could be more exciting than that. But she hardly ever rode on her little Domi's back anymore, and her treats became fewer and farther between. It eventually got to the point that she hardly ever went to visit him anymore. And he just stood there in his corral wondering why he'd been abandoned. He had done everything he could to make her happy. One day, overcome by loneliness, he decided he couldn't take it any longer. He crashed through the fence and went off to hide in the forest. There, all alone in the forest, the great stallion Indomitus died of a broken heart. Days later, when Gelda finally returned and discovered what had happened, she was heartbroken too. Never again would she see the fire in her little Domi's eyes. Never again would she ride upon his back. With tears in her eyes she repaired the damaged corral, and then went back to the meadow to see the other flying horses. Their freedom and their beauty would help to take away her sadness and mend her broken heart. In time she would forget all about her poor little Domi.
THE END 🦋
