Fifteen years in a childhood paradise

horse's harness. The reigns had also to be lengthened. Günter put them around his neck and held on to the tow line.

"Are you ready?" "Yes, I have got the other line." "We are off." With that he hit the horse with the reigns over his back side, and the horse started towards the park. At first it went slowly. We needed to make sure that we would not get in each other's way. I stayed on the left, and Günter on the right. When I had steadied myself, I shouted: "Let's go a bit faster."

The horse began to trot. We were sliding along the snow covered road at first. Then Günter steered the horse towards the lake cross-country. There was a bit of a slope, and I came closer to the horse than I wanted. I had to apply the snow-plough. Then the surface became rather uneven, and I began to wobble and lost my balance.

"Wait for me," I began to shout, as Günter had not noticed my fall. He pulled the reigns and the horse stopped.

I got up, brushed the powdery snow from my pants, and went to join Günter. It was much harder to walk without stocks, as I slid back with one ski, as I put the other forward. Then I grabbed the line again, and away we went. On the lake it was easier, as the surface was even. Our horse had studs screwed into its shoes, as all our horses had when there was ice and snow on the roads. That prevented them from slipping.

"How about going back into the park," I said, "this here is getting a bit boring."

"I think, if we continue on the lake, we could turn off the lake about half a kilometre further down. There is a slight slope. Maybe the horse can pull us up, and we slide down. How's that?"

"Agreed," I said, and we continued on the lake. When we turned off to go on to the shore, it became very bumpy again. There had been reeds along the shore. The heavy snow had flattened them all and covered them, but as we were sliding over them, our skis got entangled with the dry reeds.

"Hold on, this won't work," I said. "We are nearly through."

The horse sank into the snow almost to it's belly. It had to struggle, but it was nearly through. I had let the rope go, and I could see Günter doing a wobble and he fell. He too let the rope go, and the reigns slipped over his head. The horse felt the jerk, but it didn't take any notice. It just kept going. We shouted from behind: "Whoa, whoa," but to no avail.

"I think the horse had enough of this." "It looks like it. That damn horse wouldn't stop. Why didn't it stop when I called out?" Günter was angry.

"I don't know. Now we have to walk all the way home and carry our skis. Without stocks it is impossible to go cross country."

And that's what we ended up doing.

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