the aisle.”
“True,” Stevie said, brightening. “Good boy, Topside.” With another pat to his sleek brown neck, she closed his stall and they went on to the next Thoroughbred.
They were singing to their sixth Thoroughbred, a leggy mare named Calypso, when they noticed that they had attracted the attention of all the other horses in the barn. The smell of fresh-chewed carrots and apples had every single horse in Pine Hollow hanging its head over the openpart of its stall door, and when Lisa and Stevie looked around, the horses, from the tiny pony Penny to the giant half-Percheron Cocoa, started whickering in chorus.
Lisa and Stevie looked down each aisle, then at each other, and laughed.
“We’ve started something,” Lisa said. “They all think that they’re going to get carrots. They don’t realize that it’s only the Thoroughbreds’ birthday.”
“Well, there’s only one logical solution,” Stevie said cheerfully.
“After all,” Lisa agreed, “it’s not really fair to leave out the rest of the horses just because they aren’t Thoroughbreds.”
“Therefore,” Stevie concluded, “as two thirds of the members of The Saddle Club, we henceforth declare today to be the official birthday of all the horses in Pine Hollow. Saddle Club birthday treatment for all!”
“Hear, hear!” Lisa waved a carrot in the air in confirmation. “Good thing you brought too many carrots, Stevie.”
“Too many? I brought
enough
.”
It took a long time to sing “Happy Birthday” to every single horse at Pine Hollow, but the girls made sure that they did a thorough job and gave every horse lots of attention. They all were good horses and they all deserved to be fussed over.
“Why didn’t we think of this before?” asked Stevie. Shewiped carrot slobber off the sleeve of her jacket. Cocoa had thanked her with a messy nudge.
“I don’t know, but we’ll definitely have to think of it again. I declare this to be a new Pine Hollow tradition—New Year’s birthday celebrations!”
“A new Saddle Club tradition,” Stevie corrected her.
Lisa grinned. “A new Saddle Club tradition at Pine Hollow,” she said.
They had just finished the last horse when Lisa’s mom arrived to take them home. Stevie was spending the night at Lisa’s house, and since it was New Year’s Eve they had decided to stay up as late as they could. Lisa’s mom and dad were going to a party, so Lisa and Stevie had the VCR all to themselves. They’d rented
National Velvet
,
International Velvet
,
Phar Lap
, and
The Black Stallion.
“Horses and popcorn until dawn,” Stevie said enthusiastically.
“Maybe brownies too,” said Lisa. “Horses and popcorn and brownies—perfect.”
As they were getting into the car, Stevie pointed toward the woods. “Look.” Meg, Betsy, and Karenna were just returning to Pine Hollow. “They sure took a long enough ride.”
“And poor Starlight didn’t get his birthday treats,” said Lisa. She waved at the girls, but they were too far away to notice her. “At least Starlight looks okay. Nothing happened to him.”
“If we had really thought something would happen to him we wouldn’t have let Karenna ride him. We’ll give Starlight his treats tomorrow,” said Stevie. “I’m glad Carole is coming home soon.”
“So am I,” said Lisa. “The Saddle Club isn’t The Saddle Club without her.”
T HAT NIGHT THE Foleys went to the New Year’s Eve party at Christina’s house. The party had been a neighborhood tradition for many years, and since traditions were an important part of family history, Carole brought her notebook with her to take notes.
Christina’s parents, the Johnsons, were the Foleys’ nearest neighbors, but they lived nearly four miles away. The night was bitterly cold—even Carole, who had thought that every night in Minnesota was bitterly cold, could recognize an extra piercing quality to the air—and the sky was crystal clear. More stars were shining than Carole
“True,” Stevie said, brightening. “Good boy, Topside.” With another pat to his sleek brown neck, she closed his stall and they went on to the next Thoroughbred.
They were singing to their sixth Thoroughbred, a leggy mare named Calypso, when they noticed that they had attracted the attention of all the other horses in the barn. The smell of fresh-chewed carrots and apples had every single horse in Pine Hollow hanging its head over the openpart of its stall door, and when Lisa and Stevie looked around, the horses, from the tiny pony Penny to the giant half-Percheron Cocoa, started whickering in chorus.
Lisa and Stevie looked down each aisle, then at each other, and laughed.
“We’ve started something,” Lisa said. “They all think that they’re going to get carrots. They don’t realize that it’s only the Thoroughbreds’ birthday.”
“Well, there’s only one logical solution,” Stevie said cheerfully.
“After all,” Lisa agreed, “it’s not really fair to leave out the rest of the horses just because they aren’t Thoroughbreds.”
“Therefore,” Stevie concluded, “as two thirds of the members of The Saddle Club, we henceforth declare today to be the official birthday of all the horses in Pine Hollow. Saddle Club birthday treatment for all!”
“Hear, hear!” Lisa waved a carrot in the air in confirmation. “Good thing you brought too many carrots, Stevie.”
“Too many? I brought
enough
.”
It took a long time to sing “Happy Birthday” to every single horse at Pine Hollow, but the girls made sure that they did a thorough job and gave every horse lots of attention. They all were good horses and they all deserved to be fussed over.
“Why didn’t we think of this before?” asked Stevie. Shewiped carrot slobber off the sleeve of her jacket. Cocoa had thanked her with a messy nudge.
“I don’t know, but we’ll definitely have to think of it again. I declare this to be a new Pine Hollow tradition—New Year’s birthday celebrations!”
“A new Saddle Club tradition,” Stevie corrected her.
Lisa grinned. “A new Saddle Club tradition at Pine Hollow,” she said.
They had just finished the last horse when Lisa’s mom arrived to take them home. Stevie was spending the night at Lisa’s house, and since it was New Year’s Eve they had decided to stay up as late as they could. Lisa’s mom and dad were going to a party, so Lisa and Stevie had the VCR all to themselves. They’d rented
National Velvet
,
International Velvet
,
Phar Lap
, and
The Black Stallion.
“Horses and popcorn until dawn,” Stevie said enthusiastically.
“Maybe brownies too,” said Lisa. “Horses and popcorn and brownies—perfect.”
As they were getting into the car, Stevie pointed toward the woods. “Look.” Meg, Betsy, and Karenna were just returning to Pine Hollow. “They sure took a long enough ride.”
“And poor Starlight didn’t get his birthday treats,” said Lisa. She waved at the girls, but they were too far away to notice her. “At least Starlight looks okay. Nothing happened to him.”
“If we had really thought something would happen to him we wouldn’t have let Karenna ride him. We’ll give Starlight his treats tomorrow,” said Stevie. “I’m glad Carole is coming home soon.”
“So am I,” said Lisa. “The Saddle Club isn’t The Saddle Club without her.”
T HAT NIGHT THE Foleys went to the New Year’s Eve party at Christina’s house. The party had been a neighborhood tradition for many years, and since traditions were an important part of family history, Carole brought her notebook with her to take notes.
Christina’s parents, the Johnsons, were the Foleys’ nearest neighbors, but they lived nearly four miles away. The night was bitterly cold—even Carole, who had thought that every night in Minnesota was bitterly cold, could recognize an extra piercing quality to the air—and the sky was crystal clear. More stars were shining than Carole
Similar Books
![Collared: Ashton [Collared Lovers] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/508750/thumbs/152x264/collared-ashton-collared-lovers-siren-publishing-menage-amour.png)
