SOLVED. Kids book, 70's, horses on carousel come to life [s]

[Victor]

I don't remember much more about this book except that it seems like it was kind of dark and melancholy. Something about the horses was sad. It may have even had the word "Horse" in the title. My fuzzy memory sees a title like "The Something-Horse Something" Like "Rocking Horse". I've looked up alternate words for carousel hoping to find some sort of older slang or British slang for it with the word 'horse' in it, but no luck yet. I was on a Black Stallion kick at that time, so more than likely, the title had the word "horse" in it.

I think some or most of the story took place at night, as (and this is a really really random detail I remember), I was particularly moved when by sheer chance, I read the words "the night before" at the same time as I happened to be listening to the Beatles song with the lyrics coinciding exactly to the text on the page. I remember thinking that that phrase perfectly encapsulated the book. So my guess is that it was a normal carousel during the day, but at night, the horses would come to life.

Thanks in advance! You guys are great and have already solved my two most urgent lost book titles from my youth. This is probably the last one, so good luck!

[Holly]

I don't know what your book is, sorry! Do you think you're looking for the same book as this person though? https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Victor]

Wow. Thanks! That thread had what looked like a pretty thorough list of all merry-go-round related kids books. One on the list, "The Runaway Flying Horse" seems to fit all the criteria. 1975 publication date, "horse" in the title, some sort of adjective describing the horse in a carouselly sort of way, horse leaves at night, sad overall tone.

This could be it. But I didn't get that flash of certainty like I did with the other books that have been solved. But then again, this one was the most fuzzy in my memory.

The only thing missing is that my memory wants to see two kids (sisters or a brother and sister) who drove the story, where this synopsis makes it seem we're following the horse itself. I'm going to have to track down an actual copy of the book to see if any of the internal details line up.

[Kate]

Let us know when you know for sure! Thanks.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

An Amazon reviewer wrote this:

It's the story of a little wooden horse who is tired of living his life on a merry-go-round, so one night after everyone has gone home he jumps off and escapes.

He tries to find someone who will love him and take him to a new home, but as he travels around the city, nobody is interested in a lone merry-go-round horse. Additionally, he becomes more and more shabby as he goes along. Eventually he sneaks into a toy store and attempts to fit in with the toy animals, but by now his harness and paint is in tatters, and his hooves are cracked.

Eventually he realizes that things weren't so bad on the carousel after all, so he returns to it- although he is so exhausted and dilapidated that he collapses, thinking it's surely the end for him. Instead, he is found by the operator of the ride, fixed up, repainted, and placed back onto the carousel, "right next to the music". From then on, he is happy.

(At least that is the way I remember the story. It's been a few decades since I last read it.)

I have read this book myself but I don't recall if kids were or were not in it.

[Motz]

I asked daughter and she pulled the following book: The Kingfisher Book of Horse & Pony Stories, compiled by Jenny Oldfield. The story title is, "A Different Kind of Pony", by Matilda Webb. In this story, a young gal (Suzie) discovers a carousel pony is alive somehow on an old carousel that is going to be replaced very soon by some new-fangled space ride. She tries to rescue the pony at night, under a full moon.

[Kate]

Victor, is Runaway Flying Horse your book? We'd like to know before we shelve this as solved.

Thanks,

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Victor?

[AquaMoon]

Victor wrote: "Wow. Thanks! That thread had what looked like a pretty thorough list of all merry-go-round related kids books. One on the list, "The Runaway Flying Horse" seems to fit all the criteria. 1975 public..."

What about The Magic Carousel? In that, two sisters ride horses off the carousel, and I believe the story takes place at night.

[Verity]

The Discontented Pony

This pony story tells of a very discontented pony named Merrylegs. Even though having everything a little pony needs - a field to run about in, a kindly farmer owner and farmyard friends Daisy and Squeaker -Merrylegs still begins to feel discontented with his lot in life.

After hearing stories about his great-great-grandfather who had been a great race horse, Merrylegs begins to think that "he was much too well-born to work".

The story continues with a trip with the farmer to the market, where it was 'Fair Day'. Even though still feeling above his work, Merrylegs begins to enjoy the fair day, watching all the comings and goings, hearing the happy music playing and even a Punch and Judy show! It is at the fair day that the little pony finally realizes what it is that he should become in life. He notices a roundabout and to his great surprise, it is not chairs that the children are riding on - but horses - "What horses!". 'These were lordly creatures, with proud, flashing eyes, and wide nostrils. Their long manes and tails floated out behind them, their fore-feet pawed the air, and they had coats of scarlet, with here and there a touch of gold'.

On returning to the farm, Merrylegs shares his secret with his friends Daisy and Squeaker - who are horrified that their friend is going to run away to the fair and leave them behind! Later that same night, when everything on the farm was quiet, Merrylegs makes his escape 'through a gap in the hedge'. When he reached the market square, everything was very different to how he found it during the day - quiet and still, instead of busy and jostling. However, the horses that he 'admired so much' were still there and so he went upto each one and asked for some room to be made, so that he could join them. When he received no response, he patiently waited, wrongly assuming that they must be asleep!

Whilst waiting by 'what looked like a little painted house with wheels', he comes across some humans, who he excitedly thinks will make him into a scarlet horse and make room for him on the roundabout. How disappointed he is when he overhears them discussing that he would be of good use to 'pull a cart'. Unfortunately, Merrylegs cannot run away, as he has been tied to a wheel of the house. The frightened pony eventually falls asleep.
In his dreams, Merrylegs is the roundabout horse that he so dearly wants to be. 'His eyes flashed, and he was painted a beautiful scarlet'. Round and round he went, again and again, with a different child each time. Suddenly he begins to feel a little funny - and wishes that the ride would stop; and so it does when he wakes up!

Merrylegs now longs to be back on the farm and takes his chance when someone comes to untie him. Off he gallops, back to the farm and his friends Daisy and Squeaker. Having learnt his lesson, the discontented pony, is discontented no longer - but found that he 'quite enjoyed his work' after all.

'The Discontented Pony' was written by Noel Barr, with illustrations by P.B. Hickling and originally published in 1951 in the ladybird series 497: Animal Tales.

Above synopsis by Joanne Hill.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

I'm moving this from Solved back to Possibly Solved since Victor wasn't sure. But I'm leaving the book linked to, up in the topic box.

[Vicki]

I think the book you are describing may be The Moon on the Water by Nina Warner Hooke. It was featured on a Jackanory programme many years ago, and was a great favourite of mine.

[Kris]

Here's the link for Vicki's suggestion - The Moon on the Water by Nina Warner Hooke.

[sheila hodges]

I don't know but they all sound like really good stories

[sheila hodges]

Ty all for your comments. I am looking for a book also but when I posted it it didn't seem to appear.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

So we don't get confused, Victor is the OP.

[Sycorax]

This is a long shot, but Alison Uttley has a short story called The Merry-go-round. Twin boys go to a travelling fair and spend all day riding a merry-go-round. One of them is given a whistle by one of the fair women and that night they find they can make the horses come alive when they blow it. They ride them through the night but lose the whistle. Probably not right because you're talking about a novel, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

[Megan]

I think the book may be Where Have All The Horses Gone? by Bill Westbrook & Thomas Hale, illustrations by Thomas Hale. (c) 1973. It tells the story of a carousel horse from the point of view of the horse; from his "birth" as he was sculpted, through the popularity of the carousel when new and its decline as it ages, and the events that happen to the horse. Dark/melancholy describe some parts of this story fairly well. Goodreads doesn't have a good image of the cover to help jog a memory, but a copy is presently listed on Amazon and has an image of the cover.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Victor, can we move this to Solved?

[Xxxaimi]

Verity wrote: "The Discontented Pony

This pony story tells of a very discontented pony named Merrylegs. Even though having everything a little pony needs - a field to run about in, a kindly farmer owner and farm..."

I was thinking of tattoo designs and wanted to do one of a horse made into a carousel horse. I remembered a story book that my gran used to have about a horse running away and seeing carousel horses, but it was some kind of nightmare because he was going to made into one. I came here looking for answers and this is it! Just googled it and saw the pictures that I was remembering in my head - this one to be exact (https://i.etsystatic.com/5140860/r/il...)

[Emily]

How about Gigi The Story of a Merry Go Round Horse by Elizabeth Foster.

I know it had siblings in it, and only the children know the horses come to life. When they ride the merry go round if they get the gold ring they get a free ride.

Gigi is the favorite horse of the children who ride the carousel in the Prater in old Vienna. When WWI breaks out, the carousel is dismantled and Gigi finds himself on his way to a small merry-go-round in Paris. Further adventures take him to London and eventually to America.