The Lost Pony

 

“Sue, wake up!” called Rick, “We need to get our chores done early today.  Dad says there is a bad hailstorm forecast for late this morning.”

“All right, all right, I’m awake,” I groaned.  “I’ll take care of Star first and then help you with the cattle and chickens.”

I quickly jumped out of bed, got dressed and ran to the barn.  I picked up a can of feed by the door and dashed to Star’s stall.  He was not there!  I looked again as I called for my horse.  How could a colt vanish into thin air?

Rick must have taken him out for a run, I thought.  I flew to the door yelling for Rick.

“Rick, Rick, R I C K, where is Star?  He isn’t in his stall.”

I could see instant concern written all over Rick’s face. The disappearance of our year-old colt sent chills through both of us.  We had spent our entire savings to buy Star.  He was to become our rodeo pony who would eventually put Rick and me through college.

We looked up at the bright blue sky above our South Dakota farm.  We had learned at an early age that a blue sky could change quickly into a black thunderstorm with damaging hail.  We also knew that Star was too young to protect himself.

Dad had driven Mom in to see Aunt Mary that morning and would not be back until afternoon.  We could not wait for them.  We must act now!

I yelled for Duke, our big German shepherd and faithful farm dog.  Duke sensed the fear in my voice and raced to me instantly.  I told him our concern and sent him on the trail of our lost pony.

Up into the beautiful forest of the Black Hills we ran.  Rick and I had climbed this hill many times, but now was different.

“Rick”,  I panted, “Where do you think he could be?”

“Cheer up, Sis! We’ll be all right.  We’ll find him and be home in time for my own special out-of-the-can chili.”

“But Rick”,  I cried, “What if Star found his way into that old cave up on Bald Mountain?  He’ll never find his way out of that.”

“Sis!” Rick stopped running and took both my hands in his. “We can’t let our worries get in the way of our search.  Stop crying! Duke will find Star.  Then we’ll decide if we need to worry.”

Brothers! I thought.  How can he be so calm at a time like this?  But I knew that I loved and admired him for that calmness.

Just then I heard a bark.  Duke sounded pretty excited. He must have found Star.  I hoped so, as the blue sky was beginning to turn grey.  It wouldn’t be long before the rain would fall and then the hail.

We dashed up the small incline and spotted Duke nipping at Star’s heels.

Star was fine.  He had simply wandered off.  Now there was another problem to worry about.  It was beginning to rain and the sky was very dark.  We had to find shelter.

The cave!  We had to make it there.  Rick slipped the halter on Star and we dashed to the mouth of that big, cold cave that I feared so much.

We stepped into the cave as the first hailstone fell.  We quietly stood and watched as the hailstones became larger.  Then, as only a brother and sister can do, we talked quietly about the dreams and fears we had in life.

Twenty minutes later the storm was over, the sun was shining brightly and we were on our way home.

At twelve O’clock sharp we sat down to eat Rick’s own special out-of-the-can chili, rejoicing that our dreams could still come true and also knowing that Star was eating his own lunch in his stall.

(This story was written for my first assignment at The Institute of Children's Literature in 1990.)