Star: The Story of an Indian Pony

by Forrestine C. Hooker

Excerpt from The Story of an Indian Pony

Their wealth consisted of their herds of horses  which the Western Indians obtained from the Mexicans after the Spanish had invaded Mexico  their lodges and the few appliances for camp life. They worshipped the God of nature, and the Great Spirit was their omnipotent Jehovah. They believed that death was a long journey to the Happy Hunting Grounds. They were grate ful for the abundance of the earth  the sunshine, air, water, and all the blessings of nature  and believed that all should share them alike. For one to wish to monopolize any part of the earth was to them the manifestation of a grasping dis position. Often the men of the most in?uence and greatest popularity in the tribe were the poorest, or those who gave most to others.

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

Reviews

[Willow]

I'm going back to my childhood favorites here . . . this was a book I found on my grandmother's bookshelf, as I remember. There were also some Zane Grey books, of which I tried a few. I always wanted to be an Indian more than I thought of being a cowboy. This was a sympathetic, although somewhat fatalistic, account of the changes forced upon the Indians, told from a pony's perspective.
When I was very small I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said "A horse!". I was surprised when this was met with laughter. Of course I would be a horse! This book was one I kept and enjoyed reading a number of times. And I am still growing into that amazing, powerful and communal, strong-hearted animal that loves most of all to run with the wind.

[Mckinley]

The description given by Goodreads is a bit odd for this young adult story told from the perspective of a pony. Star is the horse of a Comanche chief's daughter. In addition to being her companion, he goes on the war path. The story describes life in the Indian village and the eventual relocation of the tribe by the US government. Gentle in it's handling of the tensions and hostilities, it does present both sides using the horses as the ones who talk about Comanche and white perspectives.

[William]

Wonderful entertaining listening 🎶🔰

Another will written western Indian adventure thriller short story by Forrestine C. Hooker about the Comanche Indians and their 🐎 horses though the 👀 eyes of a pony. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for something a little different or for the inner child. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 👒🗽🏡

[Perry Whitford]

Charming children's story based on the story of Quannah Parker, the last chief of the Comanche, who led his Quahada tribe against the encroaching white man in the mid-19th century before finally surrendering at Fort Sill in 1875.

Quannah's mother had been Cynthia Ann Parker, the white girl captured and raised by the Comanche who grew to marry their chief Peta Nocona before being recaptured by the Texas Rangers when thirty four years of age. Her story inspired the greatest of all Westerns, The Searchers.

But the real star of this story is, of course, Star, the fleet-footed pony of Quannah's young daughter Songbird. Together with his mother, Running Deer, the chief's own pony, Star does his best to help the tribe in their time of trouble, learning some lessons about racial tolerance along the way.

As I hoped they would when I decided to read this tale, the ponies communicate with each other through more than just nips and nickers, they actually talk. Fittingly, their idiom is not too dissimilar to that of their native American masters, e.g.

"These men do not carry bows and arrows like the Indians, but have shining sticks that roar like angry buffaloes and which spit fire that kills any Indian or pony it touches," explained a pony from the Kiowa Indians' camp.

Hooker was clearly well informed about the customs and lifestyle of the Comanche, providing some simple and respectful insights into their religion, the life of the women, the games of their children and their philosophy to hunting buffalo, which dictated that they kill only enough for their needs.

OK, she completely overlooks the more grisly aspects of their history, while at the same time underlining the excessive cruelty of their white usurpers, but the story of the native American's surrender of the plains is one that required a little positive discrimination, especially in the 1920s when the book was first published.

Ultimately though, Star is a figure of integration. When the Comanche capture some calvary horses, Star befriends and speaks to a couple of them, from whom he learns about the better aspects of their white-faced enemies.

A lovely little book. Hopefully it's still popular with American children.