Farm Savings

by Dj Mooncheeks

The Moongoose

Applejack was smiling as she watched her young sister, Apple Bloom set up to read Big Mac’s book, at the Ponyville library with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle planning to act out the story behind her. The foals, fillies, and colts of all ages, sat enraptured by the antics of the trio.

The young mare sensed, rather than felt or heard their brother, Big Mac come up beside her. “They started?”

“Not yet, Big Mac…” Applejack started to reply when Cheerilee shushed them loudly. The Ponyville teacher was having none of it, while the foals in her charge were present.

“Shall we get started?” Apple Bloom asked, as the twenty or so foals, fillies, and colts, all sat on the haunches almost at once. “That’s better. I kin’t read to you if ya’ll are prancing around like kittens on a hot tin roof, Ah’ll get started.”

Apple Bloom opened the book once everypony had settled down, and started to read.

There once was a very brave moongoose named Riki Tiki Tavi, who saved a family farm. She was a brave moongoose, but sweet and loving to the colt who found her. She fought a small war that even the ponies of the house never knew about. She fought hard and brave, with her friends, Rock and Robin, the red breasted robins, and Squeakers, the fearful, yet very wise house mouse.

There was a flood once, on the old Ore farm. They were a mining family, and Coal Ore had taken his sweet mare’s name. He watched out the window, then turning away, chuckling at how his young colt had his muzzle pressed up against the glass, watching the flood waters recede. They had been caught inside. Their house itself was in no danger, up high on the hill, overlooking their gem mine, but the colt was fascinated by something in the water.

He ran from the window and out the door before his mare, Silver Ore, could catch him with her magic.

Rare Ore followed the flow of the water for a while, trailing a log that was bobbing up and down. What had caught his eye was a poor, half drowned, moongoose. When he was close enough, Rare Ore used his magic to lift the poor soaked creature off the log and onto his back. With careful steps, he retraced his steps back to the main house where his father and mother waited at the door.

“What did you find there, my colt?” Silver Ore chirped, using her magic to lift the moongoose off of her colt’s back.

“I could see it, ma. I had to rescue it.”

“Well, ‘it’ is a she,” Silver Ore replied to her colt as she wrapped the moongoose in a small blanket, and used her magic to gently rub the poor creature. She set it down in a basket by the fireplace before speaking again, “she’s exhausted, but alive. Keep her warm. Let her sleep in your room tonight so you can keep watch on her, and she might make it through the night.”

“Yes, mama,” the little colt sat by the moongoose, slowly breathing his warm breath across her body. If he could have, he would have willed her back to health instantly. He never left her side, even during mealtime. At bedtime, he carefully carried the basket with the poor moongoose up to his room and tucked it against him, snuggling around it. “Please wake up, little moongoose. Don’t die.”

In the morning, Rare Ore woke up to a pressure against his neck. It was warm and made a chittering sound. He carefully moved away and the little moongoose chittered at him. “You’re alive!”

The moongoose, a beautiful golden furred creature, sat up on her haunches and chittered happily at him. He reached out with one hoof to gently pet her and she lunged for his muzzle, pressing hers against his in an appreciative rumble. Rare Ore laughed back and gently cuddled his new friend. “Mama’s got breakfast going. I bet you’re hungry.”

With an appreciative nod from the moongoose, Rare Ore hopped out of his bed and trotted happily to the kitchen, with the little moongoose at his heels.

Rare Ore trotted up to his spot at the kitchen table, where a steaming pile of food awaited him. Fresh apple pancakes with real steaming hot maple syrop, butter, and hard boiled eggs, were just the start of the feast his mother, Silver Ore, had made for the family. He sat beside his cousin, Titanium Ore, just about the biggest stallion he had ever seen, and the little moongoose climbed up Rare Ore, to sit on the table top.

She went from plate to plate, much to the amusement of the ponies sitting at the table, sniffing the various foods. The moongoose found the bowl of hard boiled eggs and, after sniffing them first, grabbed an egg and retreated to sit on the table beside Rare Ore.

“You’re a lucky pony,” Titanium Ore rumbled to his younger cousin, while running his hoof over the colts mane. “Having a moongoose as a friend is very fortunate.”

“Why’s that, Titan,” asked Silver Ore. The unicorn had a twinkle in her eye as her nephew spoke to her son.

“Cause moongooses are blessed of Princess Luna,” Titanium Ore began to explain to the bright eyed colt at his side. “They watch and protect those they choose to take care of during the night, in order to keep away the things that may harm us. Treat her right, and you’ll have a protector for life. As the moon changes in the month, so will your little friend’s fur. See, how it’s silver right now? That’s cause of the full moon coming up.”

“She needs a name, my son,” said Silver Ore. “What are you going to name her?”

The colt paused in thought. “Riki!” he exclaimed, as the moongoose paused, holding the remains of the egg in her forepaws. The moongoose “Riki Tiki Tavi! Cause of the sound she makes with her teeth!”

“Excellent choice, my colt,” Silver Ore, she was proud of her son. Then something caught her eye. The sound of a rattling tail froze the mare’s blood. A rattlesnake had snuck up and was rearing up to strike at her colt. “Rare Ore, don’t you dare move!”

“Awwww… Apple Bloom! We want more!” Several of the foals started to complain.

“Are moongooses real?” asked another, bright eyed foal.

“A rattler?” Complained a third.

“Ya’ll don’t get too excited, ye here. Next week, I’ll tell you more about Riki Tiki Tavi and her colt, Rare Ore.”

The whine from all the foals made Applejack knicker. “You’re right, Big Mac. The foals do like the story!”

Author's Note:

Trying to do right by Kipling is doing my poor head in...

Comments

[Boulder]

I kin’t read to you if ya’ll are prancing around like kittens on a hot tin roof, Ah’ll get started.”

img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/turtkiddo/roofkittens.jpg