The Horse That Would Only Go North

There was once a horse that would only go North.

It was a beautiful white mare and swift as the wind and so it had many owners but no matter who bought the horse it refused to go in any direction but North.

Time upon time the horses owners tried to force it to go in another direction but it would always turn around and go in the direction it wanted to even when the more brutal of its owners tried harsh methods to try and make it obey like using a whip or starving it, still the horse refused to go in any direction but that in which the compass points.

Eventually, however, the horse was sold to a handsome young Prince who, because he was kind and gentle, not to mention very inquisitive, did not try to force the horse to go where it did not wish to.

Instead the prince saddled up the horse and then, sitting in the saddle, said to it,

"Go where you wish, horse and I will go along with you".

And hearing this the horse, as it always did, galloped North.

It galloped Northward for miles, never once changing direction until, eventually, it came to a tower where a beautiful princess was locked up.

"My white pony", said the Princess seeing the horse from the window of the tower and recognizing it, "You've come back to me".

You see, the horse had once belonged to the Princess but she had been abducted by an ogre and locked in the tower. The ogre had sold the horse but the horse had always remembered the princess and longed to return to her.

When the Prince tried to ride towards the tower and set the Princess free however, the horse refused to go forwards.

"I don't understand", said the Prince to the horse, "When you have galloped so long to reach this place why then won't you go any further?".

Just then however, the prince heard the sound of heavy footsteps upon the ground nearby and looking down saw a row of large foot prints getting closer to him.

Taking his bow from off his back, he fired towards where the footprints were and suddenly heard a cry; then, infront of him, he saw an ogre appear and, because the princes arrow had struck it in the heart, it fell to the ground with a loud thud and died.

Now, the invisible ogre who had been guarding the tower dead, the horse walked forwards and the Prince freed the Princess from the tower; then, together, upon the horse Prince and Princess rode to the Princes Palace and shortly after they were married and lived happily ever after.