The Adventures of Baron Munchausen/Chapter II

The Baron loses his horse, and finds a wolf;—Makes him draw his sledge.

I set off from Rome on a journey to Russia, in the midst of winter, on horseback, as the most convenient manner of travelling; I was but lightly clothed, and of this I felt the inconvenience the more I advanced north-east. Charity, however induced me to throw my mantle over an old man lying almost naked, on a bleak common in Poland. At length night and darkness overtook me. No village was to be seen. The country was covered in snow. Tired, I alighted, and fastened my horse to something like a pointed stump of a tree, which appeared above the snow; and lay down on the snow, where I slept so soundly that I did not open my eyes till full day-light. Conceive my astonishment, to find myself in the midst of a village, lying in a church-yard; my horse was not to be seen, but I heard him soon after neigh somewhere above me. On looking upwards, I beheld him hanging by his bridle, to the weather-cock of the steeple. Matters were now very plain: the village had been covered with snow over night; a sudden thaw had taken place; I had sunk down gently to the church-yard as the snow had melted away; and what in the dark I had taken to be a stump of a tree appearing above the snow, proved to have been the weather-cock of the steeple! I took one of my pistols, shot the bridle in two, brought down the horse, and proceeded on my journey.

Advancing into the interior parts of Russia, I found travelling on horseback rather unfashionable in winter, therefore I took a sledge, and drove towards St. Petersburgh. In the midst of a dreary forest, I spied a terrible wolf making after me; he soon overtook me. Mechanically I laid myself down flat in the sledge, and let the horse run for our safety. The wolf did not mind me, but took a leap, and falling furiously on the horse, began instantly to tear and devour the hind part of the poor animal, who ran the faster for his pain and terror. Thus unnoticed and safe, I lifted my head, and with horror beheld that the wolf had ate his way into the horse's body; I took my advantage, and fell on him with my whip. This unexpected attack, frightened him so, that he leaped forward with all his might; the horse's carcass dropt on the ground; and in his place the wolf was in the harness; and I, on my part, whipping him continually, we arrived in full career safe at St. Petersburgh, contrary to our respective expectations, and to the astonishment of the spectators.