Groundhog's Horse

Joyce Rockwood has written vividly and beautifully about the Cherokees before. This warm, amusing novel, which takes place in 1750, shows the same brilliance, but with a lighter touch. It is about Groundhog, a young Cherokee boy, and his horse, Midnight. Midnight is a most unusual horse. So Groundhog tells everyone. But since Midnight is neither a fast runner nor seems remarkable in any other way, everyone in Frogtown laughs at him. One day, Midnight is stolen by the Creeks in a raid on Frogtown. Kingfisher, Groundhog's older brother, is not able to raise a party to raid Rabbit-town, where the Creeks live, and get Midnight back. The Cherokee warriors do not think Midnight is worth the effort. Offended, Groundhog makes his own plans. At night, when everyone is asleep, he gathers a store of food and steals out of the house. He will get his beloved Midnight back without anyone's help. This is the story of Groundhog's adventures as he makes his way to and from Rabbit-town over enemy terrain and Dismal Places with his new friend, Duck.