Blue Comforts A Friend

Here is another of my stories about a horse named Blue.

When Fiona is scared by a spider, Blue tries to understand why. He has a conversation with the spider, who explains the good things they do for humans.

Thank you for all your kind messages and continued support.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Jacqueline and I'm a very proud grandma.

I write stories for my grandchildren and I'm very happy to share them with you too.

So make yourself comfortable,

Settle back,

Because my next story is about to begin.

Blue comforts a friend.

It was a cold,

Blowy winter's evening and Blue was in his stable waiting for Fiona to arrive.

Blue didn't like winter time because it got dark a lot earlier than in the summer time.

The darker evenings also meant Fiona couldn't ride him so often after college on weekdays,

But she did come to groom and talk to him every day before settling him down for the long dark night.

Blue shivered against the cold and tried to snuggle under the warm blanket Fiona had covered him with.

It was a lovely rich blue colour and quite thick.

It covered part way up his neck and hung half way down his legs,

But it wasn't the same as having Fiona ride him.

That was his favourite way of keeping warm.

Blue waited patiently for Fiona to arrive.

He loved the way she talked to him all the time,

Sharing her secrets,

Fears,

Worries and dreams with him.

This made him feel closer to her and showed how much she adored him.

Hi Blue,

Said Fiona coming into the stable.

Although it wasn't really dark yet,

She turned the light on before going over and giving Blue a big hug.

How are you doing today?

She asked.

It's so cold outside.

I hope this blanket is keeping you warm enough.

She snuggled against her horse's neck and he snuggled back,

Enjoying the warmth from his special friend.

Right,

Let's give you a good rub down,

Fiona said,

Taking the cosy blanket off Blue's back.

It will help get the blood flowing around your body,

She said,

As she got Blue's grooming box which was filled with different brushes,

Combs and special tools.

Taking the body brush from the box,

Fiona briskly swept it over Blue's back and chatted about her day.

Blue was happy.

He loved this time of day.

Soon Fiona started telling Blue about her dream of becoming a great horse jumper.

They had recently been taking lessons together and were progressing very well.

Blue loved learning new things with Fiona and a wonderful warm feeling came over him as he imagined them jumping the highest wall ever.

He was lost in this thought when suddenly the mood was broken when Fiona let out a spine-curdling scream and ran out of the stable.

Blue looked around but could not see what had scared Fiona.

Gingly Fiona peered back into the stable.

Has it gone?

She asked.

Blue had no idea what she was talking about.

Gingly Fiona crept back over to Blue and hugged him tightly.

Don't they scare you,

Blue?

She asked,

Trembling slightly.

And then when they have scared you they disappear from sight,

She said,

Looking around.

And leave you wondering where they are?

She hugged Blue tighter.

Blue still had no idea what she was talking about but he didn't worry too much as he was enjoying her cuddles.

Suddenly Fiona screamed again but this time Blue saw what had caused her to become so scared.

It was a spider.

But not just any old spider.

It was a tiny spider who seemed just as scared of Fiona as she was of him.

When Fiona screamed the spider froze on the spot for a few seconds and then quickly ran away as if terrified himself and disappeared.

I'm sorry Blue,

Said Fiona,

I'm going to have to go.

She quickly put Blue's blanket back on him then packed away the brush into the grooming box.

I'll come back in the morning and see you,

She said,

Giving him a quick hug.

She checked the hay net was full and then turned on a dim night light.

She liked to leave this on for Blue,

Hoping it would help him feel cosy during the dark evenings.

As she switched off the main light she said,

Night night Blue,

I love you to the moon and back and she blew him a kiss before disappearing out into the cold dark evening.

Blue was sad his visit from Fiona had been cut short but the things she had talked about helped cheer him.

He snuggled under his blanket and nibbled some hay,

Preparing himself for the long night ahead.

He was just beginning to doze off when he felt a tickle on his nose.

He opened his eyes and saw the tiny spider who had scared Fiona earlier looking at him.

Are you scared of me?

Asked the spider as he looked into Blue's left eye.

No replied Blue,

You are far too tiny to scare me.

People seem scared of us spiders no matter what size we are,

Said the spider sadly.

I really don't understand why.

We really don't mean to scare anyone at all.

It's probably because of your colour and you do seem to move very quickly,

Said Blue.

Well,

We have a lot of legs,

Far more than we need really,

Said the spider.

By the way,

My name's Quincy,

He said.

I heard the girl call you Blue.

That's a nice name,

A name that brings joy.

Your name's nice too,

Said Blue.

But it's not a pretty name,

Said Quincy sadly.

There's nothing about me which brings joy.

My colour is dark and all my legs scare people as I run.

I do try not to run so fast,

But when people scream they scare me and my instinct is to run as fast as I can to get away.

But I really just want to make friends.

Blue could tell how unhappy Quincy was and wondered what he could do to help him feel better.

I'll be your friend,

Said Blue gently,

And I'm sure Fiona will be kinder when she gets used to you.

Is Fiona the girl who was here earlier?

Asked Quincy.

Yes,

She's lovely and my best friend,

Said Blue.

She really wouldn't hurt a fly.

But what about a spider?

Asked Quincy,

Still a little worried.

I'm sure she wouldn't hurt you either,

Blue said,

Trying to reassure Quincy.

A lot of my family and friends have lost their lives by humans squashing them,

Said Quincy sadly.

We really are more friendly than we look and we try to help humans in many ways,

But they don't seem to thank us for that.

The problem is with humans,

They tend to only see what they want to see,

Sometimes react too quickly before thinking about what they are doing,

Said Blue.

If they got to know us a bit better,

They might like us,

Said Quincy.

We just want to be friends.

Why don't you tell me the good things you do?

Suggested Blue.

Before he began,

Quincy asked,

Are you OK with me staying on your nose?

It's easier for me to see you from up here.

Well,

It is making me feel a bit strange with you looking into my one eye,

But I can cope,

Replied Blue,

Always wanting to make others feel good.

You are very kind,

Said Quincy.

In fact,

You are the kindest anyone has ever been to me.

Blue was pleased that Quincy felt his kindness.

He was becoming quite fond of his new friend.

Quincy began explaining what spiders do.

We eat a large number of insects,

Sometimes hundreds of small flies in one day,

He said.

Just imagine what it would be like with tons of flies flying around your food.

That would be terrible,

Said Blue.

They already irritate me when they fly around my body.

Maybe you could live on my back and keep them away from me.

Quincy laughed.

I like to run around everywhere and help clear the bugs,

He said.

I don't like staying in one place.

Maybe that's why we have so many legs.

That way we can run for longer without tiring so easily.

That makes sense,

Agreed Blue.

Where else do you help with insects?

We are around all the crops in the fields,

Said Quincy proudly.

Without us eating the pests,

Humans would have no food as the pests would feed on the crops.

Wow,

That's brilliant,

Said Blue.

You are helpful everywhere.

Yes,

Agreed Quincy.

As well as flies,

We eat fleas,

Cockroaches,

Aphids,

Moths,

Earwigs and mosquitoes.

So you really are necessary in this world,

Said Blue.

You're an important part of the food chain.

I like to think so,

Said Quincy.

If only humans would learn about us,

They would probably accept us more if they realised what we do to help them.

We only go into their home to eat the insects which are attracted there by dirt and food.

If humans keep their house clean and tidy,

They would see less of us.

Blue started to yawn.

Oh,

I'm sorry,

Quincy,

He said.

This is very interesting,

But I really am sleepy now.

I must get some rest before Fiona comes to check on me in the morning before she sets off for college.

I understand,

Said Quincy.

Would it be OK if I settle where I am?

He asked.

Your nose is so soft and comfortable.

Plus,

I like the thought of being close to you now that you're my new friend.

In fact,

My only friend.

Oh,

That's fine with me,

Yawned Blue,

His eyes slowly closing as he falls asleep.

During the night,

Blue lay down in his stable to sleep more comfortably.

This woke Quincy,

But he didn't mind in the least.

He reflected over his chat with his new friend and wondered what he could do to thank him.

Blue looked very comfortable and slept peacefully as Quincy decided what to do.

Whilst Blue slept,

Quincy got to work.

The next morning,

Blue woke up and the first thing he saw was Quincy looking straight into his left eye.

Good morning,

Blue,

Said Quincy happily.

Did you sleep well?

Blue stood up carefully so as not to shake Quincy from his nose.

Yes,

I did,

He said.

I enjoyed our conversation last night.

It was much more fun than being here by myself.

These cold,

Dark nights normally seem to drag on forever.

At that moment,

Blue heard Fiona arrive.

Morning,

Blue,

She said as she came into the stable carrying a bucket with his breakfast.

As soon as he heard Fiona's voice,

Quincy quickly ran behind one of Blue's big ears,

Afraid she would be scared again if she saw him.

Fiona went over to Blue and hugged him.

You look fresh as a daisy this morning,

She said.

You must have slept well last night.

Blue winned in response before tucking into his breakfast,

Which didn't take him long to eat.

Let me refill your hay net,

Fiona said.

She was about to unclip the net from its hook when she noticed a cobweb covering the front of it.

The cobweb was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Wow,

Exclaimed Fiona,

Totally amazed by what she saw.

This is simply incredible.

How do spiders do this?

It looks so delicate and must have taken hours.

Her fingers went out to touch it,

But she stopped herself as she realised her touch would destroy the cobweb immediately,

And she wanted to spend a little longer looking at the intricate pattern.

I wish I didn't get so freaked out when I see a spider,

Said Fiona,

Nibbling the side of her bottom lip as she remembered how scared she had felt last evening.

I wish you didn't either,

Thought Blue.

Spiders really are incredible creatures and more scared of you than you are of them.

Almost as if she could hear Blue's thoughts,

Fiona said.

Going by our size,

I would imagine they are more scared of me than I am of them.

Blue winned.

You should learn more about them,

He thought to himself.

Still looking at the cobweb,

Fiona said.

Maybe I should learn more about them and how they managed to weave these beautiful cobwebs.

I'm sure my fear is of the unknown because spiders are so much smaller than snakes and I'm not scared of snakes at all.

All the while,

Quincy had been listening and he slowly crept out from behind Blue's ear.

Get onto my nose,

Whispered Blue.

Let's see how Fiona reacts to you now.

Quincy did as Blue suggested and then they both watched Fiona,

Who was still looking at the detail in the cobweb with her back to them.

Thinking about it,

The spider I saw last night was smaller than my fingernail,

Fiona said as she turned around.

I don't know why I was so scared.

She stopped talking as she spotted the spider on Blue's nose,

But instead of screaming,

She gasped.

She whispered,

The tiny spider is back.

Blue slowly nodded as if in response to her.

You look like friends,

Fiona whispered.

Again,

Blue nodded.

Fiona took a deep breath.

Right,

She said firmly.

I am going to learn more about spiders and I am not going to freak out every time I see one.

You are brave,

Blue,

And I'm also going to be brave from now on.

Now,

I must be going or I will be late.

She stepped a little closer to Blue and fed him a carrot.

All the while watching the spider.

And the spider watched her.

I'll see you later,

Blue,

She said,

Patting his neck.

Have a nice day with your friend.

And she left the stable.

Quincy turned and looked into Blue's left eye.

She could tell we are friends,

He said happily.

Yes,

Replied Blue.

Fiona is very sensitive and picks up on many things.

I'm sure she can even hear my thoughts at times.

I like her,

Said Quincy.

When she learns about you,

I'm sure she will like you too,

Said Blue.

Blue looked over at his hay net.

I fancy a nibble at my hay,

He said,

But that would mean I will have to destroy your cobweb.

Oh,

That's okay,

Said Quincy.

Go ahead and I'll spin another web over the window.

And that's how the two new friends spent the morning.

Blue munched on his hay whilst watching Quincy as he magically spun another magnificent cobweb.

I hope you enjoyed listening to my story.

Before you go,

I'd like to ask you a question.

Now that you know more about spiders,

Are you scared of them?

Thanks again for listening and come back soon to hear another story from Grandma.

Bye for now.

Reviews

Blues, right about spiders. They actually really help us. Now I am not scared of spiders that much. I love your stories. Can you make another one that has a spider in it so I can learn more things about spiders ?❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝

First day :But it wasn’t just any spider, it was a tiNy spider DUN DUN DUUUUUN
Next day :gasp* tiny spider!

Noooo! Of course not! I love spiders! I'm learning to love roches.

I love spiders, just don’t like them climbing on me and am only scared of the big or dangerous ones great story thank you ❤️❤️❤️

That made me sleepy but not asleep but that’s alright 👍🏻! Yes I am very scared of spiders! They make me feel gross and scared! Bye bye now I’ll comment on your next one! Oh and you have a 5 star rating for your med! Bye bye Jacqueline thank you very much!-one of your biggest fans!❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🩷🤍🩶🖤

Once when I saw a spider on my counter even tho I’m scared of them I’m like “Awwwwh so cute so itty bitty” like it was so small and I couldn’t help but fawn over it XD but seriously so cute 🥰 👀 and I loved it so much I even named it;
✨Lilly the Spider✨
Itty bitty baby spider :3
My child uwu
Someone smooshes her
“I WILL AVENGE YOU, LILLY!!!”
*Vicious dragon noises*
*Screams*
*More violent rawring*
“HELP-“
“tHiS iS wHaT lIlLy fElT yOu MoNsToR”
*Screams*

I’m not afraid of spiders only daddy long legs! My brother is tho GREAT STORY! LOVED IT! Are you afraid of spiders? Again Tysm!

1 where do they live? I’m still a little bit afraid of them but I will try to be brave.

I’m not scared of tiny spiders but big ones I am scared! I will tell this to my friend who has a fear of spiders. What an Enthusiastic story

I’m still scared of them I’m mostly scared of false weirdos And Black widows but luckily in my country they don’t go there but false widows do this make me feel very very very very very terrified my mum told me when she was looking for some paint in the outdoor garage a false widow called down her shirt and she felt it then she and she let out her shirt and screamed I hated it Alicia didn’t happen to me anyway, amazing I love it but that photo makes makes me shiver a bit but anyway job I think blue seems like a lover to spiders maybe you can make another meditation about those two?

I know that bugs normally help something(except maggots) but my favourite bugs I only have three are butterflies,ladybugs and bees :)

Are you scared of spiders?🕸

Yes 🙌 I am terrified of spiders 🕷 ugh 😩 just thinking 💭 about them gives me the higig magigies ( another word like how you shake a the sight of somthing gross 🤮) if anyone is reading 📖 this I want you to know you are a wonder 💭 ful person Jacqueline you do the best stories ever are you scared 😱 of spiders 🕷? Thanks 🙏

Winnie🐶

I’ve never been scared of spiders but I was scared of meteors hitting earth and stars dieing and the end of time and stuff but now I learned about space and anti asteroid technology such as NASA’s new DART mission. Also off topic but my grandma is in the hospital right now and we think she might have dementia. It’s very sad so just make sure as you age you stay social

I love spiders and all the stuff you said about spiders is true they do kill all the pests again I love spiders

I love it!!!! I am scared of spiders but I don’t scream at them, and I never kill them. I think every animal deserves a life

i am not really scared of them but if they are really big i am quite scared
amazing med i fell bad for spiders now
😃 😃 😆

WOW!! Anothere amazing story!! Thank you so much!!!!!
I’m still sort of scared if spiders because I wish they were more like Quincy, but now I’m not as scared as I was before I listened to this!! ♥️♥️

I’ll have to see also you made a mistake in Kelti learns to ride while taffe was going up the hill you called HER a HE