The Horse Who Wanted to Fly

Charlie had an ordinary name and lived on an ordinary ranch. But Charlie was no ordinary horse. Charlie knew he could fly. But no one believed him. The naysayers said, “Ordinary horses do ordinary work. They drag wagons, pull plows, and haul hay. Horses can’t fly. So don’t even try.” So begins the story of Charlie, an ambitious, determined and speedy horse who, with the help of some friends, proves once and for all that horses can fly. After years of toiling away as a work horse, Charlie, finally recognized for his incredible speed, ends up as a prize racehorse of Leland Stanford, the founder of Stanford University. Stanford has commissioned a photographer named Eadweard Muybridge to take high-speed photos of Charlie as he runs. During the trials, Muybridge snaps a photo of Charlie with all four hooves off the ground, thus proving all the naysayers wrong — Charlie can fly! Conveyed through Charlie’s story is an important message of resilience and self-confidence, telling young readers, “Believe in yourself, give it a try! How else will you prove that you can fly?”