The Ox’s Journey
By Tyler McIntosh
Once there was a herd of oxen that lived by a small waterhole surrounded by wild plains where people only dared to go. One of the young male oxen was described by the other oxen as a wily young spirit that was so destructive. Once, when the other oxen were asleep, the young ox knocked down a large tree by running into it and it almost fell on two other oxen. Another time, the ox found a fairly large rock on the side of the waterhole so climbed on top of it and jumped off of it and into the waterhole, getting everyone drinking soaking wet and everyone grew angry because of him. He continued knocking down trees and jumping in to the waterhole and annoying everyone. The other oxen wanted to leave to find somewhere else to live just to get away from him so that is just what they did. One by one each ox left saying their goodbyes to the other oxen until only the young, wily ox was left.
Once he was alone, he played all day long, knocking down trees, but after he did, he would stomp on them, trying to break them in half but he only smashed them. He also continued jumping in the waterhole. He did this each day until he grew tired and then he would sleep. While having fun, the ox did not think of getting food to eat so each day he grew hungrier and hungrier until he did not have enough energy to play so he just tried to sleep next to the waterhole all day.
When the ox felt like giving up an elder man came to the ox and fed him. The ox then stood up and was very thankful to the man. The man then said, “Since I have helped you, you must help me in return. You must go on a journey to help me and my people. Go south and find the ancient secret vault.” The ox then said, “Why should I help you when someone from your village can help you.” The elder replied, “Only someone with the strength of an ox can retrieve the vault,” and with that the ox said, “I will go and retrieve the vault but only if you give me food.” So the elder said, “Of course, but you only have three days beginning tomorrow and if you do not bring it to me in time darkness will fall upon this land forever.”
So the ox left on his journey the next day and walked and walked and walked. He walked all day until he could not walk any further. He then stopped and slept. The next day shortly after he began walking, he found a cliff and at the bottom was a river and the cliff was not too high for the ox to jump up of so he jumped. He felt as if he was flying and then he realized he was falling. When he hit the water he made a large splash but he survived and climbed out. When he stood on the side of the river he saw an old, strange looking tree. As he examined the tree he noticed a vault trapped in the roots of the tree and he knew he found the ancient vault. At first, he tried knocking down trees like he normally does with all other trees he tries to knock down, but he just could not knock down the tree. He kept trying but could only barely move the tree. Finally, he moved the tree just far enough so that he could reach the vault, so he grabbed the vault and searched for a way back up the cliff. After searching for about ten minutes he found a cave. The ox said to himself, “Maybe there is a way to the other side of this cliff that I can reach by going through this cave,” so he went into the cave, hoping that it was safe and that he would find his way out in time. He walked through the cave nonstop through the rest of the day and through the night and finally reached the end of the cave by sunrise of the next day.
In a panic the ox ran as quickly as he could to get to his home in hopes of reaching the elder in time. Even though he was in a hurry, the ox was too exhausted to keep running. He ran as far as he could and was able to see his home but stopped because he was too exhausted. He almost passed out but he saw the old man and realized the importance of his mission. He ran again and made it to the elder just in time. The elder said, “Hurry we must return to my village,” so the ox and the elder went as fast as they could. When they arrived at the village the elder opened the vault and revealed what was inside, gold. There were gold coins, jewelry, and many more items. The ox asked the elder, “What are you going to do with this?” and the elder responded, “The English want to take our land and we will offer them these riches in hopes of getting them to leave our village in peace. If they take over our land they will enslave all of us.” Later that day a group of four men all in uniform and one of the having a rifle with him, came to the village and the man with the rifle said, “Do you have what we asked for?” The elder came to them and said, “Will you leave our village alone?” the man responded, “Of course, wasn’t that part of the deal?” So the elder gave the Englishman the vault and the Englishman shouted, “Burn the village down!” The other men brought out torches and set buildings on fire. Enraged at the men for lying, the ox attacked them throwing them in the air. When the man with the rifle aimed his rifle at the ox, the elder swatted the rifle away and the ox came and chased the men away. With the fire still spreading to the other buildings the ox realized they would have no homes.
The ox asked them if they wanted to move to his waterhole since they had no homes and that the English were bound to come back. The elder accepted the invitation and all of the villagers moved to the waterhole. The villagers used the wood the ox had knocked down before to make their new homes. When the villagers needed more wood the ox would just knock down more trees for them. Although the ox continued knocking down trees, he stopped jumping in the waterhole so that the villagers would not be distracted while they worked except for on hot days. On hot days, everyone would gather around the waterhole and the ox would jump in, splashing water all over the people, cooling them down with the water. Now that the villagers lived where the English would not search for them, the new village was safe.
By Tyler McIntosh
Once there was a herd of oxen that lived by a small waterhole surrounded by wild plains where people only dared to go. One of the young male oxen was described by the other oxen as a wily young spirit that was so destructive. Once, when the other oxen were asleep, the young ox knocked down a large tree by running into it and it almost fell on two other oxen. Another time, the ox found a fairly large rock on the side of the waterhole so climbed on top of it and jumped off of it and into the waterhole, getting everyone drinking soaking wet and everyone grew angry because of him. He continued knocking down trees and jumping in to the waterhole and annoying everyone. The other oxen wanted to leave to find somewhere else to live just to get away from him so that is just what they did. One by one each ox left saying their goodbyes to the other oxen until only the young, wily ox was left.
Once he was alone, he played all day long, knocking down trees, but after he did, he would stomp on them, trying to break them in half but he only smashed them. He also continued jumping in the waterhole. He did this each day until he grew tired and then he would sleep. While having fun, the ox did not think of getting food to eat so each day he grew hungrier and hungrier until he did not have enough energy to play so he just tried to sleep next to the waterhole all day.
When the ox felt like giving up an elder man came to the ox and fed him. The ox then stood up and was very thankful to the man. The man then said, “Since I have helped you, you must help me in return. You must go on a journey to help me and my people. Go south and find the ancient secret vault.” The ox then said, “Why should I help you when someone from your village can help you.” The elder replied, “Only someone with the strength of an ox can retrieve the vault,” and with that the ox said, “I will go and retrieve the vault but only if you give me food.” So the elder said, “Of course, but you only have three days beginning tomorrow and if you do not bring it to me in time darkness will fall upon this land forever.”
So the ox left on his journey the next day and walked and walked and walked. He walked all day until he could not walk any further. He then stopped and slept. The next day shortly after he began walking, he found a cliff and at the bottom was a river and the cliff was not too high for the ox to jump up of so he jumped. He felt as if he was flying and then he realized he was falling. When he hit the water he made a large splash but he survived and climbed out. When he stood on the side of the river he saw an old, strange looking tree. As he examined the tree he noticed a vault trapped in the roots of the tree and he knew he found the ancient vault. At first, he tried knocking down trees like he normally does with all other trees he tries to knock down, but he just could not knock down the tree. He kept trying but could only barely move the tree. Finally, he moved the tree just far enough so that he could reach the vault, so he grabbed the vault and searched for a way back up the cliff. After searching for about ten minutes he found a cave. The ox said to himself, “Maybe there is a way to the other side of this cliff that I can reach by going through this cave,” so he went into the cave, hoping that it was safe and that he would find his way out in time. He walked through the cave nonstop through the rest of the day and through the night and finally reached the end of the cave by sunrise of the next day.
In a panic the ox ran as quickly as he could to get to his home in hopes of reaching the elder in time. Even though he was in a hurry, the ox was too exhausted to keep running. He ran as far as he could and was able to see his home but stopped because he was too exhausted. He almost passed out but he saw the old man and realized the importance of his mission. He ran again and made it to the elder just in time. The elder said, “Hurry we must return to my village,” so the ox and the elder went as fast as they could. When they arrived at the village the elder opened the vault and revealed what was inside, gold. There were gold coins, jewelry, and many more items. The ox asked the elder, “What are you going to do with this?” and the elder responded, “The English want to take our land and we will offer them these riches in hopes of getting them to leave our village in peace. If they take over our land they will enslave all of us.” Later that day a group of four men all in uniform and one of the having a rifle with him, came to the village and the man with the rifle said, “Do you have what we asked for?” The elder came to them and said, “Will you leave our village alone?” the man responded, “Of course, wasn’t that part of the deal?” So the elder gave the Englishman the vault and the Englishman shouted, “Burn the village down!” The other men brought out torches and set buildings on fire. Enraged at the men for lying, the ox attacked them throwing them in the air. When the man with the rifle aimed his rifle at the ox, the elder swatted the rifle away and the ox came and chased the men away. With the fire still spreading to the other buildings the ox realized they would have no homes.
The ox asked them if they wanted to move to his waterhole since they had no homes and that the English were bound to come back. The elder accepted the invitation and all of the villagers moved to the waterhole. The villagers used the wood the ox had knocked down before to make their new homes. When the villagers needed more wood the ox would just knock down more trees for them. Although the ox continued knocking down trees, he stopped jumping in the waterhole so that the villagers would not be distracted while they worked except for on hot days. On hot days, everyone would gather around the waterhole and the ox would jump in, splashing water all over the people, cooling them down with the water. Now that the villagers lived where the English would not search for them, the new village was safe.