The True Story of Sea Feather by Lois K. Szymanski

Author:Lois K. Szymanski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

Across the road from her, Shannon saw a woman wearing a straw hat bend over. She picked up a wispy grey feather and stuck it in the side of her hat. Shannon smiled, thinking of Ashley as she watched the woman.

Then she heard the pounding of hooves and the first pony trotted around the corner. Directed by the saltwater cowboys, the ponies turned into a lane that led to the pens behind the carnival grounds. Dust rose in large brown clouds as the ponies left the street.

“Look, Shannon!” Ashley shrieked. “Look at that one … and that one … and that teeny tiny one!” Ashley’s finger jabbed the air, pointing to first one pony, then another, her face flushed with excitement.

When the last of the ponies had passed by, the family followed the crowd through the carnival grounds. They walked under the tall, shady pine trees to the pens where the ponies would live until Friday. The day after the auction, the fireman would swim the ponies back to their island home.

A crowd had gathered around the stage area on the carnival lot. A fireman with dark, curly hair used a microphone to entice the crowd to buy tickets. “King Neptune is a flashy one this year,” he said. “Don’t miss your last chance to get a ticket. This foal could be yours before the sale even begins tomorrow morning!”

Shannon tugged on Dad’s arm. “Get another ticket, Dad!”

“No, Shannon. It only takes one ticket to win and I bought two. That’s enough.”

Shannon’s heart pounded as she watched several young islanders walk through the crowd selling tickets. The foal had been a real beauty. If only they could win it! Then they could use the money they had saved to buy a halter, and a lead shank and food and … Her mind raced with the possibilities.

“We’ll draw the winning ticket at one o’clock,” the man with the microphone said. “You do have to be present to win this one,” he warned, “so be back at one o’clock if you have purchased a ticket.”

Shannon looked at her watch. It was almost noon. The morning had gone by so quickly.

“I’m hungry,” Ashley announced, and Mom nodded in agreement.

“I’m hungry, too,” she said, gesturing toward the sandwich line. Lines were forming at all the carnival rides, too.

“I want a crab-cake,” Ashley said, rubbing her tummy, “and French fries, and maybe even some cotton candy.”

“Whoa, there, you little bottomless pit,” Dad joked. “Let’s start with a crab-cake and French fries. Save something until later.”

Shannon lagged behind as the others headed toward the food lines. Her eyes lingered on the pens. Each stallion watched over his herd, circling again and again. The mares dosed standing up, while foals stretched out on the ground below, sleeping. Shannon looked from foal to foal. She wondered how Ashley could think of food when they were this close to getting a pony.

After they’d gotten their sandwiches Mom, Dad, Ashley and Shannon walked back to look over the ponies. A look at Ashley’s lunch had changed Shannon’s mind about eating.

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