Read Online The Painted Horse by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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postcard of the carousel and quickly bought it before Mrs. Martin headed them out the door.
“We’re now going to say good-bye to New York,” Mrs. Martin said. “We’re going to Belvedere Castle. Does anyone know what a belvedere is?”
None of the students knew, but Ms. Dodge raised her hand.
“Ms. Dodge?” said Mrs. Martin with a nod.
“A belvedere is a pleasant place from which to look upon a scenic vista,” said Ms. Dodge.
Stevie smiled at Ms. Dodge. She really knew a lot.
“From Belvedere Castle you will be able to see old New York and new New York,” Mrs. Martin said. “You will be able to see the park as it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. And you will be able to see the modern skyscrapers lining it.”
The class crossed the street and entered the park. The sky was lower and grayer now. Three seagulls wheeled overhead.
“Birds act strange before a bad storm,” Stevie said. She knew this from Max, who always told riders to keep an eye on the birds.
Mrs. Martin smiled. “Stevie is reluctant to see one last historic building. Well have plenty of time to see Belvedere Castle before it rains, but I want everyone to zip and button up.”
“I don’t know—those birds look worried,” Stevie said.
Mrs. Martin looked annoyed. “Stevie, we are going to stick to our schedule.”
Stevie knew that weather could be unpredictable. Storms could come up faster than expected. Mrs. Martin might know a lot about antiques and English and history, but Stevie could tell that she didn’t know a lot about weather.
Ms. Dodge tied a plaid silk scarf over her head. The class zipped up their raincoats and put on their hoods.
A flock of crows crossed the sky, screaming.
“I don’t like crows,” Ms. Dodge said. “They’re kind of spooky.” A gust of wind caught her scarf, pulled it loose, and sent it straight up in the air. “Oh,” she said, running after it, her arms up. The class ran with her. The scarf spread out like a large plaid bird.
It’s now or never
, Stevie thought. She ducked behind a bush and ran in a low crouch. She hated to do this to Ms. Dodge and Mrs. Martin, but she really wanted to see Ralph one more time before she left, and she had a feeling that the carousel was just a few hundred yards away. She could be there and back before anyone noticed she was gone.
She trotted with her head down. She would have a short visit with Ralph and then meet her class at Belvedere Castle. She didn’t know where the castle was, but she could ask.
Skaters passed her, heading out of the park. “It’s about to rain,” one of them called to her.
“No problem,” Stevie said as the first drop smashed into her nose. She figured it was one of those spring storms that come on fast and blow themselves out. Raindrops bounced off the hood of her slicker. This was hard rain, she realized. Maybe it really was the storm that had soaked Willow Creek.
Stevie looked up. A drop pelted her on the forehead. This rain wasn’t kidding around.
A parks department man in a green jumpsuit ran past her. “Get under cover!” he yelled. “It’s about to begin.”
Begin? So far as Stevie could see, it already had begun. She ran south, her head down, minding her steps. She noticed something very odd. The rain was bouncing. Rain did not bounce. She looked more closely. The rain was bouncing above her ankles, almost up to her knees. Something stung her nose. “Ouch!” she said. “Watch it!”
Now she was talking to rain. That was smart.
Hail the size of sourballs slammed into her forehead and hands. She ran as fast as she could while it thundered around her. There was no one else around. They seemed to be hiding.
Stevie ducked into a gazebo. There was no way she could get to the carousel and back in this mess.
Anyway
, she thought,
I already took one picture of Ralph.
She didn’t want to admit to herself that she was starting to feel uneasy. She needed to get back to her classmates before
“We’re now going to say good-bye to New York,” Mrs. Martin said. “We’re going to Belvedere Castle. Does anyone know what a belvedere is?”
None of the students knew, but Ms. Dodge raised her hand.
“Ms. Dodge?” said Mrs. Martin with a nod.
“A belvedere is a pleasant place from which to look upon a scenic vista,” said Ms. Dodge.
Stevie smiled at Ms. Dodge. She really knew a lot.
“From Belvedere Castle you will be able to see old New York and new New York,” Mrs. Martin said. “You will be able to see the park as it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. And you will be able to see the modern skyscrapers lining it.”
The class crossed the street and entered the park. The sky was lower and grayer now. Three seagulls wheeled overhead.
“Birds act strange before a bad storm,” Stevie said. She knew this from Max, who always told riders to keep an eye on the birds.
Mrs. Martin smiled. “Stevie is reluctant to see one last historic building. Well have plenty of time to see Belvedere Castle before it rains, but I want everyone to zip and button up.”
“I don’t know—those birds look worried,” Stevie said.
Mrs. Martin looked annoyed. “Stevie, we are going to stick to our schedule.”
Stevie knew that weather could be unpredictable. Storms could come up faster than expected. Mrs. Martin might know a lot about antiques and English and history, but Stevie could tell that she didn’t know a lot about weather.
Ms. Dodge tied a plaid silk scarf over her head. The class zipped up their raincoats and put on their hoods.
A flock of crows crossed the sky, screaming.
“I don’t like crows,” Ms. Dodge said. “They’re kind of spooky.” A gust of wind caught her scarf, pulled it loose, and sent it straight up in the air. “Oh,” she said, running after it, her arms up. The class ran with her. The scarf spread out like a large plaid bird.
It’s now or never
, Stevie thought. She ducked behind a bush and ran in a low crouch. She hated to do this to Ms. Dodge and Mrs. Martin, but she really wanted to see Ralph one more time before she left, and she had a feeling that the carousel was just a few hundred yards away. She could be there and back before anyone noticed she was gone.
She trotted with her head down. She would have a short visit with Ralph and then meet her class at Belvedere Castle. She didn’t know where the castle was, but she could ask.
Skaters passed her, heading out of the park. “It’s about to rain,” one of them called to her.
“No problem,” Stevie said as the first drop smashed into her nose. She figured it was one of those spring storms that come on fast and blow themselves out. Raindrops bounced off the hood of her slicker. This was hard rain, she realized. Maybe it really was the storm that had soaked Willow Creek.
Stevie looked up. A drop pelted her on the forehead. This rain wasn’t kidding around.
A parks department man in a green jumpsuit ran past her. “Get under cover!” he yelled. “It’s about to begin.”
Begin? So far as Stevie could see, it already had begun. She ran south, her head down, minding her steps. She noticed something very odd. The rain was bouncing. Rain did not bounce. She looked more closely. The rain was bouncing above her ankles, almost up to her knees. Something stung her nose. “Ouch!” she said. “Watch it!”
Now she was talking to rain. That was smart.
Hail the size of sourballs slammed into her forehead and hands. She ran as fast as she could while it thundered around her. There was no one else around. They seemed to be hiding.
Stevie ducked into a gazebo. There was no way she could get to the carousel and back in this mess.
Anyway
, she thought,
I already took one picture of Ralph.
She didn’t want to admit to herself that she was starting to feel uneasy. She needed to get back to her classmates before
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