When I was a young boy, my best friend was Ralph. That summer we were both going on eleven years of age. Ralph's father owned and operated a small dairy farm. All summer long I would spend my days with Ralph. That small farm had everything to offer boys of our age, plenty of open space in the pasture and surrounding complex. But what I loved most was their two beautiful chestnut colored ponies named Penny and Ginger. Every day Ralph and I would ride through the pasture and into the surrounding woods. My favorite was Penny, I was sure Penny liked me as well, She seemed to sense my need for gentleness. Ginger was always a bit harder to handle, so Ralph was always her rider.

One day Ralph and I were doing our favorite fun thing, which was riding the ponies. I of course on Penny and Ralph on Ginger. We pranced among the cows in the pasture, ready to head out to our favorite spot in the woods, when suddenly the always gentle, passive Penny began to act strangely. She began to shiver and refused to respond to the bridle. She suddenly reared and turned, almost knocking me off. I hung on as Penny raced back to the dairy's main building.

Ralph's dad had been working on a large defective refrigerator, andthere, just outside the building, I found him on the ground. He was unconscious, his face was blue and he was gasping for every breath. I was so frightened I just stood there. Ralph was just seconds behind me, he jumped off Ginger and bolted into the small office on the side of the main building. He got the operator on the office telephone and shortly after the fire department's rescue team arrived.

Ralph's dad had made contact with a live electrical wire and was near death.Treated at the hospital he was back home in two days.