The Green caldron - University Library

April, 1958
old child is the embcxiiment of the secret child desires of every human soul.
The reader, having experienced the book twice (once for sake of humor and
again for an analysis of purpose) will find in himself, if he gazes honestly
into a mirror, a remnant yet of his juvenile capricious longings. He will
recognize that they are now clothed in the inhibitions of modern society's
protocol, and, if he has been successful in his perusals of Eloisc and is basically
sincere, he will laugh. Then, he will consider his own goals and accomplish-
ments. "Are they so superior," he will ask, "to the childlike ideals and deeds
of Eloise ? "
I
The Horse and I
Kay Franklin
Rhetoric loi. Final Theme
HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS HORSEBACK RIDING, ALONE,
going no specific place, in no hurry. During my rides I have had time to
look at, and really see, some of the wonders of my country, some of the
works of God. I discovered that each tree, each timid animal, each wild flower
was at once both an individual and a member of a group, neither a conformist
nor a rebel. I found, and learned to find, qualities of beauty in the most forlorn,
twisted oak, as well as in the lovely, praised violet. An originality and a mag-
nificence seldom paralleled I saw in the sunrises and sunsets. An awareness
that the beauty of nature was far from superficial started growing in me.
But this awareness was not the only thing that sprang to life through my
associations with horses. It was during these associations that I first conceived
the idea that I would slow down and not rush through life. When a person
spends a large amount of time in solitude, he tends to be introspective, to ask
himself just what he intends to get out of life and what he intends to do with
the precious years given him. My riding offered me this chance for solitude
and introspection. Out of the latter has grown my belief that I must take my
time in doing the things I enjoy, as long as I am not harming another person
or myself.
My understanding of human nature has, like my awareness of nature, also
benefited from time spent with horses. Spoil a horse to an extreme and he
becomes mean and hard to control or handle. Love him and treat him gently
and he responds. Tease him and he becomes stubborn, rebellious. Pay no need
to his feelings, and he returns the indifference.
So, when I get in a car and drive at a reasonable speed though it would be
more of a thrill to go faster, when I show respect for the people and objects
which surround me, when I am observant of the natural world, I am not just
reflecting my parents' and my teachers' instructions ; I am also reflecting hours
spent with horses.
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