The Mud Pony by Caron Lee Cohen

Cohen, Caron Lee. The Mud Pony: A Traditional Skidi Pawnee Tale. Ill. by Shonto Begay.  New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1988. ISBN 1-59053-449-8

 
SUMMARY

 A young Skidi Pawnee boy longs for a pony of his own, so he creates one out of mud from the river. He cares for his mud pony as if it were real – tending to its needs every day. One day as he cares for his mud pony, his tribe moves on to hunt a herd off buffalo for the winter food supply. Left behind, the boy fears he will never see his people again. However, the mud pony appears to him in a dream and tells him he is not alone. The next day he finds a great and wonderful thing has happened to his mud pony – and the adventure that follows leads him to become a leader of his people.

ANALYSIS

Caron Lee Cohen’s retelling of the Skidi Pawnee tale captures the mystical spirituality of a legend that tells of a boy’s mud horse coming to life in order to help the good hearted boy and his tribe. The theme of the story follows that of typical folktales – a good child who lives in a humble, poor home is smiled upon by the gods( or fairies – or elves) who help the child achieve status among his people (or village -or town). In the end the child becomes the hero and leader of the people.

However, both Shonto Begay’s artwork and the story include cultural references that clearly identify this legendary tale’s origin as Native American. The first pointed reference to the tale’s Native American origin comes in the first line, “There was once a poor boy in an Indian camp…” Following this line, the story tells of the young boy’s desire to have his own horse, and so he creates one from mud. During a great time of need in his life, the mud horse comes to life. The concept of creating creatures from mud can be found in folklore around the world, from the Judeo-Christian God creating man from clay to the Hebrew Golem – a strange creature, a soulless servant of men. However, the catalyst that brings this horse to life occurs when the boy’s tribe leaves him behind to hunt a herd of buffalo the scouts discovered “several days’ journey to the West.” When the boy finds himself alone, the mud horse is given life by Mother Earth to help the boy reunite with his people and then fight an enemy who threatens their food source - the buffalo.

The reference to the scouts and to the buffalo narrows the general cultural reference, Native American, to the tribes that roamed North America’s prairie land who hunted buffalo for their winter’s meals. The Skidi Pawnee people made their homes in this region of the American continent. When he finally finds his people, he sees “smoke curling from tepees in the camp.” Tepees are portable shelters for the nomadic Native Americans in the Great Plains. During buffalo hunts, the Skidi Pawnee had to move with the buffalo herds to be able to find enough food for the winter. Because of this, tepees were the most practical shelters for shelter.

Shonto Begay’s surrealistic artwork in soft pastel shades shimmer across each page with a spray of pink and white star-like images that suggest the presence of the Milky Way in the life of the young boy. The Skidi Pawnee’s knowledge of the constellations is one of their culture’s characteristics. Animal skins with artwork of the constellations demonstrate their abilities as early astronomers. Begay captures the essence of the astronomers with the suggestion of celestial light surrounding the boy and the mud pony. The boy is drawn with dark hair and a loin cloth; at the book’s end he is older and has two eagle feathers in his hair – symbolic of his courage and role as a leader in his tribe after he fights an enemy who threatens to keep his people from the buffalo .

Beautifully written and illustrated, The Mud Pony is a tale that carries the strong message that purity in heart and faith will be rewarded.

AWARDS/REVIEWS

Owl Award for Illustrations in Japan, 1988

“Cohen retells this story with grace; Begay, a Native-American artist, provides evocative paintings that derive strength and impact from the suggestion of action rather than fully detailed scenes.” – Publisher’s Weekly, September

CONNECTIONS

Related books:

The Magic of Spider Woman, by Lois Duncan, Illustrated by Shonto Begay

Maii and Cousin Horned Toad: A Traditional Navajo Story,  by Shonto Begay

Discussion Guide:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/mud-pony-discussion-guide

 Shonto Begay Artwork Gallery:

http://shontogallery.com/wp/

Information about the Skidi Pawnee:

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/skidi-tribe.htm

The Skidi Pawnees as Astronomers -
http://astrobob.areavoices.com/tag/skidi-pawnee/

The Skidi Pawnees' Mythology
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Pawnee_mythology.html

PERSONAL RESPONSE

As I read The Mud Pony, I recognized the pattern of an ancient tale. There were no surprises as the storyline followed a typical legend format. What I did enjoy, though, was the artwork of Shonto Begay. It gave the allusion of a mystical element interacting with the young boy in order to accomplish great things for his people.  I recommend this as good picture book to read aloud to young children.

The Mud Pony: A Traditional Skidi Pawnee Tale. Cover illustration. Internet on-line.  October 24, 2013 from http://www.flr.follett.com/cover?FLR=31887W3&SID=e7ab27e8ca59f3da7e7d2532da695d3e&type=cover