Child finds horse chained in the desert, but it was not a common horse. Diego Ramirez was walking in the morning in search of dry branches when he heard a faint sound coming from distant stones. The 12-year-old stopped by drying his sweat from his forehead with the back of the dirty ground hand. His family needed the firewood to cook lunch, but that groan under it left it curious. As he approached the rocks scattered across the arid terrain, Diego felt his heart squeeze in the chest. A horse too skinny was lying between the stones with a heavy chain attached to the neck. The animal had its eyes open, one blue like the sky and another coffee like dry earth and a strange mark on the forehead that looked like a drawing made with hot iron. “My God,” Diego whispered slowly, slowly squeezing the animal. The horse turned his head toward the boy and made a low sound, as if he were asking for help. Diego saw that the ribs of the animal were noticeable under the dark fur and that his legs had red marks where the chain had hurt him. Who did this to you? asked Diego extending his small hand to the horse’s snout. The animal smelled his fingers and leaned the snout on the palm of the child’s hand. Diego felt that those different eyes were begging for help and his childly heart could not ignore that silent request. Diego tried to pull the chain, but it was too heavy for his small hands. The link holding the animal was welded to an iron ring nailed to a large stone.

It looked like gratitude mixed with sadness. Diego poured some water into the palm of his hand and offered it to the horse. The animal drank thirsty, licking to the last drop. Then Diego offered the grass and the horse chewed slowly as if each leaf was a treasure. “Do you understand when I speak, right?” Diego asked, stroking the animal’s neck. Your eyes are different. I’ve never seen a horse with blue eyes before. The horse leaped his head on the boy’s chest and Diego felt a strange connection to that animal suffered.

It was as if they could talk without using words. When Diego returned home, his mother noticed that he had delayed too much and brought little firewood. Where were you, boy? Picking up wood, Mom. And why do you bring so little? Diego lowered his head and did not answer. Doña Rosa sighed and moved her head, too tired to scold. That night Diego could not sleep thinking about the horse alone among the stones. When the house was silent and everyone was asleep, he got up slowly and went to the kitchen.

He took more water and looked for something that could serve as food for the animal. In the middle of the morning, Diego sneaked out of the house and returned to the stones. The moon was full and illuminated the ground, making everything clear as if it were day. The horse was awake, as if he knew the child would return. Were you waiting for me? asked Diego slowly approaching. The horse snared short a sound that seemed joyful. Diego gave him more water and offered him some green leaves that he had found near the house.

Tomorrow I will try to break that chain,” Diego promised. “I will borrow a tool from Don Manuel.” Diego stayed there for more than an hour caressing the horse and speaking quietly. The animal seemed to understand every word and responded with head movements and soft sounds. When he returned home, Diego slept more calmly, knowing that he had given some relief to the horse’s suffering. The next day, after his mother went out to wash clothes in the pond with the neighbors, Diego went to Don Manuel’s house.