The Grimoire of Kensington Market by Lauren B. Davis

Author:Lauren B. Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Buckrider Books is an imprint of Wolsak and Wynn Publishers
Published: 2018-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

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EVERY SUMMER SHE AND KYLE HAD GONE TO THE Canadian National Exhibition. The only thing he wanted was to go on the pony rides. There was this pony – same one every year – a fat little dapple-grey thing called Derwin; the most mean-tempered pony Maggie ever saw. He regularly tried to bite any child who came near him, and if the old man who owned the ponies didn’t keep a firm hand on the lead he’d try to buck the children off and then stomp on them. Maggie could never figure out why the old man used him, since he clearly hated children. Maybe the old man did as well, but, to be fair, he only used the petulant pony when all the other ponies were busy. She sometimes suspected if he didn’t like a child he gave him or her Derwin. But Derwin was the only horse Kyle ever wanted to ride.

The first time Kyle went near him the horse nipped his shoulder, but Kyle didn’t even flinch. He was seven and he turned to Maggie and said, “He’s just frightened. He has to know I won’t hurt him.” It was as if he identified with the pony. It was like the pony was his pony. And he rode it, too. Around and around the little track. Then the time was up and Kyle would have to get off and he wouldn’t. Maggie tried to bribe him with the Ferris wheel or the shooting games, or even cotton candy, but he would not have it. Just him and that malevolent pony. For hours. The old man liked Kyle and so he should have, for the pony cost Maggie every penny she had, every year, and when the money ran out Kyle did chores, just so he could stay. But he never did get bitten again, and the pony never kicked him, either, not like it tried to do to everyone else. Kyle cried and cried when the fair moved on.

It was the fourth year, when the fair came back and Derwin was gone. The old man said he’d sold him to a nice little girl on a farm, but he was lying. Maggie saw it in his eyes and so did Kyle. It broke his heart and he screamed and cried and picked up a handful of dirt and threw it at the man. Maggie had to drag him away. He cried so much he threw up. Made himself sick as anything. Took him weeks to get over it. Little Brother of the Sparrow.

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