"What's that?" Willy Wonka thought out loud as he looked out his window. There was a dark brown…something…standing outside his factory gates.
"What's what?" Charlie asked, peering around him to see what his friend was looking at.
Willy didn't answer Charlie but went outside. He suddenly stopped in his tracks when he realized what it was. "A horse," he said softly. Charlie came jogging up. "Easy there, Charlie," Willy said, putting his arm out to stop the boy. "You'll scare him."
"Him?" Charlie asked, coming to a stop.
"Him," Willy confirmed. Then he walked closer. The horse backed up a bit. "Easy boy," Willy said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you." Willy came to the gate and held his hand through the bars. The horse snorted softly and his ears came forwards. Willy took the opportunity to study him. He was a dark brown color. The color of chocolate, actually. He had a white face marking. Willy remembered it was called a blaze. He also had four socks on his legs. His eyes were blue: so pale a blue that they almost looked white. He was very skinny and had long legs. The horse seemed to be studying Willy as much as Willy was studying him. His ears stayed pricked. His nostrils flared. "Steady," Willy said softly. Slowly the horse came up to him and lowered his muzzle into Willy's gloved hand. Then he picked up his head and raised his lip. Willy giggled, "Oh come on," he said. "I don't smell that bad!" Then he removed the glove and held his hand out again. "See?" The horse dropped his head and sniffed again. Then he came forwards a little more and poked his muzzle in Willy's face. Again the horse's nostril's flared. Willy blew into them, grinned, and pulled his glove back on.
"Mr. Wonka," Charlie said. Willy and the horse both jumped. Willy had forgotten about Charlie standing there. "How do you know so much about horses?"
"After I ran away from home," Willy explained, "I went to stay with my aunt. She had horses. She taught me about them. I even learned how to ride and groom a horse." he smiled slightly, "She used to say I was born to it."
"Did you learn how to clean the stalls and feed, too?" Charlie asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Ew! No way!" Willy exclaimed with a shudder, "But I watched my aunt do that a few times." Then he turned back to the horse. There was something in the horse's eyes that pleaded with him. He could never explain why he did what he did next. He opened the gate and stood back. "Come on, boy," he said. After a moment's hesitation the horse walked through the gate. Then Willy closed it behind him. "I'm going to keep him," Willy said.
Charlie somehow wasn't surprised at this. "What are you going to call him?" he asked.
Willy looked at the horse and smiled. "Cocoa," he said. "I mean, just look at his coloring. Besides, what other name would be appropriate for the horse of a world famous candy maker?" Then a problem presented itself. How to get him inside the factory? For that matter, where was he going to put him?
Then Willy remembered a room that had a door that opened onto the factory grounds. The door was especially wide because he had intended it to be for a spare dock for loading the candy. However, the spot hadn't been big enough for the trucks to get in so it had been abandoned. It would make an ideal stall for Cocoa. He'd get the oompa-loompas going right away on fixing it up for him. He called for one of them, told him what had to be done and then added for someone to bring him a rope. When the rope came Willy slipped it over Cocoa's neck, tied a knot in it, and the three of them walked around.
Suddenly Willy stopped next to a door in the wall that stretched on either side of the. Charlie stopped too and watched as Willy opened the door. Charlie had often seen the door and wondered where it went. He carefully followed Willy and Cocoa through the door.
On the other side of the door was what looked like a huge back yard. Grass covered the ground. A few trees grew here and there. Cocoa whinnied softly and lowered his head to graze.
They spent several hours outside, letting Cocoa graze. They were near the doorway of the room that would be Cocoa's stall when the door opened. Cocoa gave a surprised snort and backed up, but Willy had a good grip on the rope. Inside, the room had been transformed. There was a wooden gate a few feet from the doorway at the other end. The floor was thickly bedded with wood chips. In a corner was a bucket with water in it. Willy untied the rope and let Cocoa explore his new surroundings. The room next to Cocoa's stall was empty and would be used for a feed and tack room. They left the door they came in by open so Cocoa could go outside and graze if he wished. Willy smiled. They did need things, it was true, but he knew this would be a great home for Cocoa.
"Oh, boy," Willy suddenly said.
"What?" Charlie asked in concern.
"I just realized how much we have to do," Willy said. "We have a lot of stuff to get. Saddle, bridle, blanket, halter, lead rope, grain, supplements, hay, salt block, racks to hold stuff, brushes, hoof pick, a place to store grooming tools, fly spray,…" Willy shook his head to clear it. "The list goes on. And we need to find a veterinarian and a farrier to come look at him. Make sure he's all right."
Charlie suddenly remembered something, "One of my teachers from school has a horse, Mr. Wonka," he said. "I could call her and ask her what veterinarian and farrier she uses."
Willy brightened a little, "That would be great, dear boy. We should probably wait until the vet has checked him out anyway to buy stuff in case the vet has recommendations on what to feed him. Go on," he said, waving Charlie off. "I'll just stay here with Cocoa."