Once upon a time, there lived a small daughter with her parents.

This girl (who was called Laila) liked to play with her mother and she was walking with her in the forest. She seemed to be like the happiest girl in the world, she had everything she wanted.

But one day, when she was only 5 and half years old, something terrible happened.

Her mother disappeared and she lived with her father in their small house.

“Where is mother?” asked Laila.

“I don’t know, just leave me alone!”

“Did she hate me? Wasn’t I good enough for her?”

“Of course you weren’t. You aren't good enough even for me or for anyone!”

“Do you hate me?”

“Yes, I do. Now go, you are disturbing me!”

Laila felt so alone, in the nights she cried a lot. She felt like nobody cares, like life shouldn’t be, she just wanted to die, she had no reason to live.

After this conversation with her father, she felt lonelier than ever. She decided to leave her house in the night. She wanted to be alone, “anyway nobody cares”, that's what she thought. She took with her a piece of bread and some water, and she walked away.

On her walk, she became very tired. She sat on the cold ground, and slept.

In the morning, she was hungry, so she ate her bread. She drank some water and she felt so good, like finally she was happy, far away from her father. Far away from her home!

It was almost dark out there and the sun started to sink. Suddenly, she heard a scream. Someone sounded very miserable. She followed this noise. Then she saw a bright light. There was a big, beautiful black horse standing there. She got closer next to it, but it ran away. Laila didn’t give up, she ran after the horse until it stopped.

She looked at the horse, and she got closer to it. Instead of running, the horse stood there and let her stroke him. She felt so glad, so happy.

In the day after, she woke up and instead of a horse she saw there a beautiful women. “She looks familiar,” she thought.

“Who are you?” asked Laila.

“You know who I am.”

“No, I do not!”

“Well, I am the horse from yesterday.”

“But it can’t be. Horses can’t turn into human beings, it isn’t real!”

“Life can be a big mystery. Why are you here?”

“Don’t even ask!”

“No, really, I want to know why you are here.”

“I am here because I left my house. I felt like my father hates me, he told me that my mother hated me too. I have no reason to stay living there.”

“Who was your mother?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I even don’t know what her name is. She left the house when I was only 5 years old.”

“This is so sad, did she really hate you?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t trust my father.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“That’s o.k. Why do you turn into a horse? What happened to you? Did you make the harsh scream?”

“This is a very long story, and yes, I made this harsh scream. It is painful to turn into a horse.”

“Please, tell me what happened!”

“Well, it happened a year ago. I was so happy with my husband and my little girl. One day, an awful witch came and cast a spell on me. In the morning I am a woman, in the night a horse.”

“So why did you leave your house?”

“My husband didn’t want me. He thought I was so different and cursed. He became so dark and rude.”

“I can understand you... Like my father, evil and bad.”

(Quiet…)

“What is your husband’s name?” asked Laila.

“His name is John.”

“What?!?”

“His name is John, what? Why is it so weird?”

“My father is called John too.”

“What?!? Does it mean that-?”

“Are you my mother?”

“I think that yes, I guess that this is the reason that I thought I have known you before.”

“So, do you hate me?”

“No, no, no! Of course no! He just lied to you, poor one!”

Lila and her mother lived together in the forest. Both of them felt much better than before. They felt so joyful.

This kind of feeling, nothing in the world can destroy, the love is so strong.

Even though her mother turned into a horse, still Laila loved her, because she made her feel that she belonged.

Written by Chen Zecharya & Inbar Zeldes – 6.12.2004