Dante of the Maury River by Gigi Amateau

Author:Gigi Amateau [Amateau, Gigi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7332-1
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2015-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

“Dante?” Ashley broke away from her trainer and ignored the previous warning.

My eye met Ashley’s. A sure look of recognition came over her face as she read my nameplate.

“Dante’s Inferno. I thought so!”

Ashley tilted her head like she already knew me. I had the sensation of wanting to know her, too. The black curly hair and thick eyebrows and dark, lively eyes with a sparkle in them made me recall Filipia.

Ashley ran back to where John, Miss Bet, and Mrs. Maiden were standing, across the aisle. He’s a grandson of Dante’s Paradiso, right?” Miss Bet nodded. “When I was little, I watched him race on TV,” Ashley said.

“Did he win?” Mrs. Maiden asked.

“No, he came in last. But, see, he had a new jockey who didn’t understand him.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I watched him. I could tell that Dante wanted to stop and look at the track and all the horses, but his jockey whipped him to make him go on. Then Dante started bucking and rearing. He was so lathered by the time they got him to the gate, he didn’t have anything left. I felt sorry for him. I just have always thought that if they had only let him look around until he was ready . . . he would have won.”

“He sounds like a bit of a handful!” Mrs. Maiden said.

“But couldn’t we give him another chance? You’ve been saying that we need a fancy horse who could make it all the way to the A-shows someday.”

“I thought you liked the chestnut.”

“I do, a lot. But everybody has a chestnut. Dante is all black. He’s so gorgeous. I just know he’ll be great.”

Mrs. Maiden returned to give me a closer look. At first, I backed up into the corner and pawed the ground, but then Mrs. Maiden spoke softly, like she meant no harm.

Miss Bet helped me out. “He’s skittish. Not very trusting, at first. I hate to imagine why. But watch this.” Miss Bet unwrapped a peppermint — she always kept one or two in her pocket. Just a whiff soothed me.

“See how daintily he takes the candy?”

Ashley pressed her face to my stall. I lifted my nose to hers. “Oh, Dante! You can learn to be a riding horse, can’t you? A hunter or, maybe, one day a jumper? And we have trails, too! Well, Mrs. Maiden does. She’s my teacher.”

Despite myself, truly, I nickered. That took Miss Bet by surprise and made John laugh. The girl giggled, which made me nicker again. And before I knew it, Ashley was standing in my stall, pressing her nose to mine asking was I happy. Then offering to trade breaths with me.

“Let me scratch your ears,” she said in the kindest way.

“He loves that,” John said. “You might just make a new friend if you keep it up.”

When I didn’t drop my head straightaway, Ashley peered down into me and revived the one single human word that all at once could make me happy and sad and assured and relaxed.

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