Mary Finds a Friend
An Incredible True Story
by
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The small village sat quiet and peaceful under a lazy September sky. The But something extraordinary had taken place that summer—something that had been kept secret for many weeks. About 100 paces from the center of town, an elderly Welch Cob horse, named Little Bit, and a yearling moose, called Mary, incredibly had become the best of friends. The two animals strolled in and out of a large barn where they slept at night, and freely roamed the pasture out back during the day. They were commonly seen standing side by side, peering out the barn door together, and where one went, the other closely followed. The townspeople had known about Mary and Little Bit for seven weeks before the rest of the country read about them in newspapers. Their fascinating relationship was described as a “girl thing”—an innocent friendship similar to that of a grandmother and child. Little Bit was a domestic horse, and Mary was a wild moose. They came from very different backgrounds, but fate somehow timed their paths to cross in a very special way. Their unique friendship touched hearts across the nation and lasted longer than anyone could have imagined. Why Mary came out of the woods and ventured into the The story you are about to read provides an account of this unusual friendship. It is based on actual events, blending speculation with the facts, without discounting the notion that animals possess an earthly and spiritual intelligence that instinctively serves their survival needs. It is a touching story that attempts to answer some of the questions that so many folks were left with. But mostly, it shares the wonder of compassion and the joy of friendship with anyone who has a love for animals and a soul open to the wisdom of nature.
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About the Book
Inspired by actual events, this heartwarming story of friendship and compassion is the catalyst for a powerful K-6 lesson series and the foundation for Mary's Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering kids to make good choices in school and in life.
During the summer of 2004 this remarkable friendship between a wild yearling moose and a 20-year-old Welsh Cob horse made national news and baffled the experts. Hordes of spectators were drawn to the small farm in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to witness this natural wonder. The encounter went on to become the longest of its kind in recorded history.
Young and alone Mary struggles to find a friend and is mysteriously drawn to a peaceful little mountain village where she meets Little Bit. A wonderful friendship develops and the two soon become inseparable. Through summer and autumn they sleep in an old barn, they graze side by side in the pasture, and they routinely stroll to the
Mary Finds a Friend is an extraordinary story providing inspiration and important lessons for children. Combined with the support and efforts of Mary's Mission, students are learning key life-long attributes. 50 lesson plans comprising 17 concepts are helping to make systemic bullying prevention programs more successful and enhance the character of young students.
Concepts such as: Bullying, Being Friendly, Sharing, Making Good Choices, Appearances, Compassion, Being Thankful, Good Judgment, Stereotyping, Peace, and more have all been written to national bullying prevention standards and reviewed by certified Olweus instructors and trainers. For details email rjskye@comcast.net and see www.marysmission.org.
Mary's story and lesson plans engage and empower students by inspiring them through the wonders and honesty of nature.
About the Author
Robert Jae Skye resides in
Governor’s Testimonial: “Like most Vermonters, I remember well the events of October 1986 when the 76-day courtship between a Hereford cow named Jessica from Shrewsbury and a love struck, slightly confused, moose named Bullwinkle captivated Vermont and captured hearts around the world. Pat Wakefield later chronicled the story in the book A Moose for Jessica.
In the same tradition, Robert Skye sets forth the touching tale of another unlikely friendship, this time between a 20-year-old horse named Little Bit, and a yearling moose named Mary. Set amidst the stunning scenery of
The youngest children will enjoy the pictures of Little Bit and Mary and all of the Groton-area wildlife, young readers will enjoy the story exploration and friendship, and parents will take joy from knowing that anytime they wish, they can take their children to visit a magical Kingdom where amazing stories do come true.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.”
James H. Douglas
Governor of