Ticket to Curlew by Celia Lottridge

Author:Celia Lottridge
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Groundwood Books Ltd
Published: 2013-08-19T04:00:00+00:00

11

The small white horse and the tall black one stood side by side on the wagon road. The two boys looked at each other.

“Allo,” said Gregor. He smiled but he looked puzzled. He pointed down the track and raised his eyebrows at Sam.

“Hello,” said Sam. He was thinking hard. If he could make Gregor understand about the strayed oxen, he might be able to help find them.

Sam shaded his eyes and peered all around to show that he was searching for something. Then he pointed at Prince and at Gregor’s horse and shook his head. He held up two fingers and hunched his shoulders, hoping he would look a little like an ox.

Gregor looked puzzled.

Sam pointed to himself and to the north side of the track. He drew the shape of a house in the air with his hand. Then he pointed to the south side of the track and drew another house.

“Martingale,” he said and looked hopefully at Gregor.

Gregor nodded vigorously. “Martingale,” he repeated.

That was good, Sam thought, but not enough.

There was only one thing to do. He slid off Prince’s back and got down on his elbows and knees, lowered his head, poked his fingers up above his ears to indicate horns and slowly crawled down the track. After a minute he looked up to see Gregor standing beside his horse nodding and laughing.

Sam stood up. He pointed in all directions, shrugged his shoulders and held out empty hands to show loss. Gregor suddenly looked serious. Sam knew that he finally understood.

Gregor frowned for a moment. Then he said, “Sam!” He put his fingers above his ears like horns and said a word.

Sam said, “Oxen? You mean oxen?”

“Oxen,” repeated Gregor. They stared at each other. It seemed that a whole world of communication had opened between them.

“Oxen!” they both shouted and shook hands for the second time.

Then Gregor stopped smiling. For a moment he stood perfectly still with his eyebrows drawn together. Then he made a bowl shape with his hands, put his face into the bowl and lapped with his tongue.

“Water?” said Sam.

Gregor spread his arms to show that the bowl was now huge, wider than his arms could reach. He pointed to the southwest. Then he went back to lapping with his tongue.

Sam was very excited. “You mean there’s a pond down that way? You think the oxen might be there?”

Gregor picked out the only word he understood. “Oxen,” he said firmly and pointed again to the southwest.

Sam scrambled up on Prince. He looked at Gregor. “Will you show me?” he asked, holding his open palm toward the pond. He could now imagine it as clearly as if he had seen it himself.

But Gregor looked uncertain. He pointed along the track to the south and said a word that sounded very much like papa. Sam knew what he was saying. He had to go home now. Sam shrugged and smiled, trying to show Gregor that he didn’t mind, though he really did.

Gregor smiled his wide smile. He made a beckoning gesture with his hand.

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