Apples of Gold (complete)

Part 10 - The Ransom Note

Joseph's morning flew. His lessons absorbed him. He worked hard, enjoying learning new things and reinforcing his knowledge of others.

The tutors hadn't told the lad, but the king had been informed; Joseph was a very intelligent young man, his learning and retention three times more than that of others his age. "After being told once, he doesn't forget."

"His questions are stretching our resources," one tutor told the king, the others agreeing.

"His grasp of both German and French is outstanding," the language tutor said. "After just a few months, he can converse, though simply, in both languages. I'm astounded."

Karl, the son of the language tutor, was the young palace guard delegated recently to watch over Joseph. Today, Karl had been commissioned to teach Joseph to ride.

He selected a docile mare for the lad to mount, expecting to spend the afternoon demonstrating to 'the boy' how to mount and dismount; how to sit and how to control the animal by use of the reins.

Firstly, Karl wanted Joseph to know that it wasn't as easy as it appeared, and, to show off his own skills with pride.

"Well, then, get up on the saddle, Sir," Karl said, as Joseph stood staring at the high rump of the grey mare.

"Perhaps, Karl, you'll show me how you do it," Joseph asked, wondering why the young man had not thought of this. Karl was the best rider there was, Sir Pippin had said.

With a deft action, Karl placed his left boot into the stirrup and swung his right leg over the back of the horse to sit astride the creature that did not move. Just as expertly, he dismounted.

Joseph stared at the saddle, the height of it, calculating the twist of body Karl had performed. Well, I can climb trees, and swim, and it was said my father, a soldier, was a rider —he died in a riding accident —I might die just mounting this... animal... if I don't get it right. I don't want to disgrace myself and land face down. Closing his eyes, he thought a prayer, asking in his mind, Lord, I need help here, grant me wisdom to mount it... He hesitated, performing the action in his mind, wanting to gain the momentum to push up from the ground as Karl had done.

"Don't be afraid; the horse won't bolt," Karl encouraged, grinning; about to say, 'We all have to go through this, a spill won't kill,' when Joseph copied Karl's previous mounting of the horse, almost perfectly.

Seated astride on the animal, Joseph took the reins in his hands, drawing them in as he had seen others do, asking, "What do I do next?"

Karl mounted his own horse and drew it close to the mare, saying, "Touch the horse's sides with your heels, flick the reins, and we'll be off."

Later, cantering back to the castle, Karl called, "You've done this before Sir, haven't you?"

"Never! —And I have a very sore rump to prove it!" He thought, Thank You, Lord, Thank You! —But I'm not sure I want to do it again for a while...

He felt exhilarated and hoped he would come to ride without pain and enjoy it. Every day! I should do this every day! At last, I've been permitted to leave the castle and go out into the countryside.

Although Karl had taken a different road from the one to Chester Castle, Joseph already had dreams of riding out to see Liliana, his unforgotten love.

"I need to repeat that you must sit even more erect in the saddle; square your shoulders, perhaps, lean back a bit, don't slump forward," Karl said after the horses had been taken to the stables. "After this successful first lesson, completed in one day, I say we jump to stage four."