Keeker and the Sneaky Pony (3 page)

Keeker raced back the way she’d come, found the trail and hurried up it. She burst onto the clearing, and there was Plum, standing in a blackberry bramble.

Plum was covered in purple smudges, and her saddle was crooked. She looked grumpy.

Keeker ran to try to catch her, and Plum ran away, dragging bits of blackberry bush with her.

This went on for a while.

“Why can’t I catch her?” moaned Keeker. She was almost ready to cry again. But she didn’t. Instead, she sat down and thought some more. She remembered something her father had said, something about “I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine.”

Then she had an idea. She ran off to find the perfect scratching stick. Then, she started walking verrrrry slowly towards Plum.

“What’s she up to?” thought Plum. She kept one eye on the berry she was nibbling, one eye on Keeker.

Keeker got closer

and closer

and closer,

until she was only a few feet away.

Keeker reached out with the stick and began to scratch. Plum was a little startled, but then the scratching began to feel really good. Especially since she was covered in burrs and blackberry goo and was probably the itchiest she’d ever been in her whole life.

“Oooooooooooo,
I like this girrrrrrrrrrrllllll,” sighed Plum as she leaned into the delicious scratching. She wiggled her lip and swished her tail. Keeker scratched and scratched and scratched.

Finally, when all her itches had been scratched, Plum walked over and put her head against Keeker’s chest.

She was a tired pony. She missed her new home, with the dogs and the goat and apples and dinnertime. She even missed the old bathtub she drank her water out of.

She wanted to go home. And so did Keeker. Plum sighed a big sigh and let Keeker hop onto her back.

Keeker and Plum got back on the trail, heading towards the road.

On the way home, Plum didn’t bounce or jiggle Keeker at all. In fact, she walked very carefully, trying not to scrape Keeker’s knees on the trees.

Keeker used a branch to swat the flies away from Plum’s ears.

When they got home, Keeker’s parents were VERY glad to see them.

Keeker’s mom gave Plum a molasses mash for dinner, and Keeker had hot dogs with no bun, just the way she liked them.

Keeker went to bed early. But before she crawled under the covers, she popped her head out the window to take one last look at the night. She could see Plum in her paddock, drinking from her tub. (Of course, Plum wasn’t really drinking—she was bubble-blowing.)

“I’m glad I got a girl,” thought Plum as she burbled away. “With a little more training, she’ll be just right.”

Plum wandered over to the apple tree to lie down. She fell asleep right away, dreaming about blackberries. Up in her bedroom, Keeker dreamed she had ferns instead of hair.

The night was long and dark and purply. It lasted all the way until morning.

Ponies are not short horses or baby horses; they are their own separate breed. Ponies do not grow to be big like horses—they stay small. Ponies are frisky and love to play with other ponies. They are also known for being sneaky and sometimes play tricks on their owners and the other ponies they live with.

Ponies are wonderful pets, but it takes lots of time and work to take good care of them. Ponies are fun to ride. Some people even show their ponies at horse shows and win ribbons.

Just like dogs, ponies have to get regular care from veterinarians or animal doctors. They even have to go to the dentist. Hoof care is also important for ponies. A pony’s hooves should be cleaned every day to keep them healthy.

A pony’s height is measured in “hands.” One “hand” is 4 inches long. To measure a pony’s height, measure from the ground by the pony’s front hoof to the bump at the top of the pony’s back. Then divide the total number of inches by four to get the number of “hands” the pony is.

Most adult ponies weigh between 400 and 700 pounds. A pony’s weight can be measured with a special tape measure that goes around its stomach and measures in pounds instead of inches.

Mama ponies or “mares” are very protective of their babies or “foals.” Sometimes they run and play with their babies and other times they graze, while their babies sleep nearby.

A pregnant mare carries her foal for 11 months before giving birth. A brand-new foal can stand on its wobbly legs within 20 minutes after it is born. This is necessary so it can quickly reach its mother’s milk.

Foals grow quickly and soon learn to eat grass, hay and grain. Ponies also love to eat treats like carrots and apples.