Read Online Olive of Groves and the Great Slurp of Time by Katrina Nannestad - Free Book Online Page B

true, dear reader. What Olive should have said was, ‘Oh, goody! I love the idea of horse riding.’
    For while all little girls dream of owning a pony, Olive had never actually had any real-life experience of one. She had not cantered across verdant meadows on a white stallion. She had not been led around the park on a chubby grey pony named Pudding. She had not even bobbed up and down to pipe-organ music on a wooden merry-go-round horse.
    Alfonzo and Anastasia frowned.
    Olive stopped clapping, giggled, then stood to attention once more.
    â€˜Today,’ the Ringmaster announced, ‘we shall start with a simple standing gallop. If all goes well, we may even proceed to a handstand gallop.’ He slapped his riding crop against his boot and Beauty trotted forward.
    Alfonzo grabbed Anastasia by the ankles and launched her high into the air. She did a tucked flip and landed, on her feet, on Beauty’s back. Beauty shifted a little with the impact, but Anastasia remained steady.
    Alfonzo clicked his tongue and Beauty began to trot. Anastasia bent her knees to absorb the up-and-down motion of the horse without losing her balance.
    Alfonzo clicked again and Beauty broke into a gallop, moving in a large circle around the garden. Anastasia wobbled a little and bit her lip at several near slips, butafter the third lap, she straightened her legs, put her hands on her hips and looked as relaxed as if she were standing on the front porch of Groves, waiting for the mail to be delivered.

    Olive clapped and bunny-hopped from side to side. ‘Well done, Anastasia!’ she cheered. ‘You look spectacular!’
    â€˜Olive!’ snapped the Ringmaster. ‘Your enthusiasm is commendable, but there is a horse standing idle. Let’s not waste our precious lesson time.’
    Olive smiled and nodded. She grinned at Eduardo. She looked over towards Star and clicked her tongue.
    Nothing happened.
    â€˜Star!’ she hissed in a stage whisper and clicked her tongue again.
    Star dropped her head and started to nibble at the grass.
    Eduardo looked at Olive and shrugged.
    â€˜Star!’ yelled Olive. ‘Come here!’
    Star wandered away to the vegetable patch. Pulling up a carrot, she proceeded to chomp . . . slowly and ever so defiantly.
    At this point, dear reader, I probably would have called Star a rude name or thrown a large cabbage at her head. Olive, however, was of a finer mettle than I. She remembered that, less than two weeks ago, Star and Beauty had been prisoners of a wicked sea captain. She knew that mistreated animals must be given time to learn to trust and love again. Furthermore, she believed that rudeness and bad temper could never achieve anything of worth.
    Olive simply walked over to the vegetable patch, put her hand on the horse’s mane and said, ‘Come on, Star. Let’s be friends. I’m sure we can have a jolly time working together, if only you will give me a chance.’
    And although the horse did not exactly smile with repentant tears in her eyes, she did walk out of the vegetable patch and wait for Olive to mount.
    Eduardo grabbed Olive’s ankles and launched her into the air. She screamed and splattered onto Star’s back, her arms and head dangling down one side of the horse’s body, her legs down the other.
    Star shifted uneasily, rolled her eyes and grumbled.
    â€˜I’m okay!’ cried Olive, ever optimistic. ‘Nearly there!’ She wriggled and squirmed, huffed and puffed and heaved herself up until she was sitting astride the horse. ‘Ta-da!’ Throwing her hands in the air, Olive flashed her best performer’s smile, then realised that she was facing Star’s rump!

    â€˜Humiliating!’ mumbled Star. She stomped her hooves and Olive fell off, landing face-first in a pile of compost.
    Eduardo beckoned to Alfonzo. Together, the boys lifted Olive onto Star, this time the right way around. She took a deep breath, dug