This is a story of a coal horse, his name is Elgan , he is big, very strong and friendly.
Elgan lives and works in a Welsh coalmine deep underground. His daily life is back breaking work , pulling carts full of coal and dragging huge logs.The coalmine is dark , lights from the miners lamps twinkle in the murky atmosphere . Years of gruelling strenuous work have taken taken its toll on the great horse, the chains for pulling logs pinch his back,breathing in the coaldust burns his throat,the rusty old coal carts cut into his heavily bandaged legs.
Elgan is guided by a miner called Dewi, a glimmer of light from his miners helmet lights the way forward and a friendly voice, come on lovely boy this way.At the end of each day its time to rest, oats and an apple from kind Dewi, his eyes smile through the dim light, I’ve saved this from my lunchbox he says quietly. Elgan munches away , it reminds him of the apple orchard at the farm..
The farm is where he goes for summer holidays, open spaces fresh air , and the farmers children Mab and Teg.
Elgan then wakes up, its pitch black , he sighs oh why did I have to wake up, then a draft of wind soars through the coalmine, the miners have returned ,they’ve open the doors to the tunnel, he can hear voices chattering away , lights from the helmets break the gloomy depths. Suddenly Dewi appears,morning Elgan he says cheerfully, water, oats for breakfast and of course a juicy apple.
Dewi guides Elgan deeper and deeper into the coalmine , they pass donkeys and other horses pulling huge amount of coal, ready to be transported to the surface.Today on the back of Elgan’s cart is a boy called Bryn, its his first day., he looks scared.
Elgan remembers his first day a long time ago, pulling and dragging huge weights have had a massive impact on the friendly giant, Elgan has been scarred physically and mentally, he has a cough caused by the suffocating coal dust, huge bruises on his back, cuts on his legs, miles and miles of arduous work.
Then one day , Dewi takes Elgan to the surface, firstly Dewi wraps an old towel around Elgans eyes, don’t worry Dewi whispers, its to protect your eyes from the sun. Then Elgans lungs fill with fresh air, bird song, then little voices its Mab and Teg the children from the farm, his friends. Elgan ,Elgan call the children ,your coming to live with us they cried!
You’ve been adopted by the farmer and his wife, no more hard work for you my lad Dewi Explained,