Read Online Six Ponies by Josephine Pullein-Thompson - Free Book Online

Holbrooke, who had been good naturedly keeping Mrs. Cresswell out of the Major’s way by showing her round the immense aviary in which she, Mrs. Holbrooke, kept her collection of exotic birds, came into the paddock to point out to the Major that it was already half-past twelve, and that most families lunched at one.
    “Oh, heavens,” said Major Holbrooke guiltily, “why on earth didn’t someone tell me before? Now I shall have hundreds of irate parents after my blood. Come on, all ofyou; we’d better catch those ponies. Have you got your halters?”
    “Oh, dear!” said Susan. “Noel, we’ve come without one.”
    “If you were relying on Noel, I’m not surprised,” said the Major with a laugh. “Didn’t you know she’s anti-gardens?”
    Noel felt fearfully embarrassed and again wished she hadn’t come, but Susan only laughed and said she hadn’t far to go home for one. However, the Major said of course he would lend her a halter, and he sent Noel to fetch one, for she knew where they were kept, and he asked Roger to put Black Magic away, as Blake would have gone to lunch. Noel helped Roger to settle Black Magic, and then they ran across the fields, to find that the others had already caught the ponies. They put the halter on Susan’s bay, and then, when everyone had thanked the Major, who said that any one who got into difficulties was to ring him up and that he would arrange another rally before the end of the holidays, and Mrs. Holbrooke, who promised to ring up and reassure Mrs. Manners and Mrs. Morrisson, the only mothers who were likely to worry about their children being late, Noel, Margaret and James mounted and, followed by the six led ponies, they set off for home. When they came to the drive, the Radcliffes took the back way, which led to the Hogshill road, while everyone else, except June, went down the main drive to the Basset-Brampton road. There John had a little difficulty in persuading his black mare to go alone to Lower Basset while all her friends were led off in the opposite direction, but he got her along in the end, though she neighed hopefully long after the others were out of sight.
    Mrs. Cresswell and June had great difficulty in getting the grey into the trailer. The Major and Blake, who had come back from his lunch, had to help, and the Major, who was feeling hungry, and therefore rather cross, became very annoyed with Mrs. Cresswell, who would wave her arms and say, “Shoo!” to the pony, which, of course, only upset her the more. At last Major Holbrooke could bear it nolonger. He gave Mrs. Cresswell a lecture, and, taking the halter-rope from June, who was trying to pull her pony in, he picked up each of the grey’s fore-feet in turn and put them on the ramp; then, holding out a cow-cake, he walked up in front of her. Finding that the ramp was quite firm and didn’t collapse as she had expected, the grey followed him into the trailer. Mrs. Cresswell thanked the Major effusively, and then he, muttering, “Not at all,” and “Don’t mention it,” hurried into lunch, to find Mrs. Holbrooke also in a bad temper, partly because she was hungry, partly because Mrs. Matthews, the cook, was in a rage as the lunch was overdone, but mainly because she had had to spend the whole morning making conversation to Mrs. Cresswell.
    “If only,” she said as she finished her cinder-like cutlet, “that dreadful woman could talk of something else but June and Golden Wonder!”
     
    Meanwhile, as Mrs. Cresswell and June drove home to their lunch, which was to be sausages and mash followed by bread and butter pudding, they discussed the events of the morning.
    “Wasn’t it a good thing I got the grey,” said June, “and not the cart-horsy old skewbald or the dull bays and black? I wouldn’t have been seen dead on the skewbald.”
    “The grey is certainly the pick of the bunch,” replied Mrs. Cresswell, “and I’m very glad you got her, June, for I hardly think those other children