Father's Day #2... Exclusive Dad Story, "MetamorHorses"

The Day My Dad Turned into a Horse

(MetamorHorses)

Here's a story I've written that I'm hoping to have turned into a picture book at some point. I hope I'm not too unfair or judgemental to Sam's Dad - I know I've got some of his faults!
Despite the obvious lack of pictures, I hope you enjoy...

 

Before Sam’s Dad turned into a horse, Sam and his Dad didn’t get to play together much. They did love to play, but his Dad always had a bit more work to do.

[Sam is playing, while his Dad is on the laptop.]

One Sunday afternoon, Dad promised to take Sam to a riding lesson, so Sam could be like a cowboy. But just as they had their coats on, Dad got a phone call from work. Sam waited and waited at the door, but it was too late. They had missed the lesson.

“Sorry, Sam… maybe next week,” his Dad told him.

Sam went to bed feeling sad.

But the next morning, something magical happened.
Sam came down to breakfast, and found…

“Neigh!”

His Dad had the head of a horse!
Breakfast was messy because of Dad’s new head. And Dad couldn’t get his shoes on, because his hands and feet had turned into hooves.
Sam’s Dad was a horse.

Dad trotted down the garden path, and waited for Sam. Sam grabbed his cowboy hat, and jumped on.

Sam and his Dad galloped along the street, past the cars and the houses and the children going to school.

They raced the train, and chased the sun, and rode the world and back.
[Wide pic of having left the town, racing over meadows and towards the beach.]

 

            They charged down the hill onto the sand, and let the waves splash over them.

            Sam bought two ice creams, and they sat happily on the beach.
Sam couldn’t remember spending this much time with his Dad: No mobile, no emails; just the two of them.

            Sam and his Dad had a wonderful day riding together. Sam didn’t feel scared on the horse – he was with his Dad, and he was safe.
            When the sun was sinking in the sky, they finally headed home.

            When they arrived home, tired but happy, something strange happened.
Dad didn’t go inside to check his emails.
Instead, he nudged a football towards Sam.

Sam booted the ball, and his Dad tried to kick it back –

POP. The ball had burst, and now the flowerbed was a mess, too.
Never mind. They went indoors.

            It was a tight squeeze in the living room. Still, they could always buy another armchair.
            At bedtime, Sam wanted his Dad to read him a story. But his Dad wouldn’t fit up the stairs, and he ate the storybook.

            Sam’s Dad made a good horse, and the horse made a good Dad. But he wished his Dad was a man again.
            The next morning, Sam brushed his Dad’s coat, and fed him an apple for breakfast.
            “ ‘Ank ‘oo,” said Dad.
            It wasn’t long before his human arms and legs and body grew back.

            Once he had a good wash and got dressed, Sam’s Dad opened his laptop. “Actually… that can wait,” he declared, snapping it shut. “I’ve got better things to be doing with my day!” Sam’s Dad declared. “Let’s see about those riding lessons!”

            And from that day on, Sam’s Dad was never too busy for his son. He played games with Sam, and read stories to him, took him horse riding…

And sometimes let Sam ride on his back, too!