Mary Margaret Meets Her Match by Christine Kole MacLean

Author:Christine Kole MacLean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

My heart is taking running jumps, like it’s trying to find a way out of my body. My scared brain is running laps around my skull. I try to remember everything I’ve learned about how to act around horses. Move slow. Talk quiet. Or was it don’t talk at all? They know when you’re afraid, so don’t be afraid.

Too bad Lefty never said how to not be afraid when you already are.

Just then Smokey opens his eyes to see what’s going on, then closes them again. That calms me down because cats are smart, and if Smokey isn’t afraid, maybe that means Twister isn’t making a plan for trampling me.

“Nice Twister. Nice boy.” My voice comes out quiet but shaky. “I’m sorry I came into your stall without asking permission. My brother JT hates it when I do that. But I didn’t know it was your box stall. You were in a different one yesterday, so it’s not my fault I’m in the wrong place. What are you trying to do, trick me?” He snorts again. I wonder how much of what I’m saying he understands. Horses are one of the planet’s most intelligent animals (I read that in a book), so he probably understands some of it. At least I hope he does.

“I gave you a treat, remember? I sure hope you don’t mind me talking. It’s just what I do when I get nervous. Oh, wait. I probably shouldn’t have told you that! Now you know I’m scared. Forget that part. Actually, I talk pretty much all the time. Now, if you’ll just move over a step, I’ll be leaving.”

To get to the door, I have to get past Twister. So I take a little scoot toward the door. He watches me but doesn’t move over at all. Instead, he lays back his ears, throws his head, and stamps his foot. I’m not sure what that means, but it looks like a horsey temper tantrum to me. I freeze. He shakes his glossy mane then lowers his head and sniffs my shoulder, then my neck. I freeze harder so I can sit stiller. When he gets to my shirt pocket, he nibbles at it with his lips. Suddenly I understand horse language. Twister wants Terco’s sugar cubes! I reach for my pocket but then stop. What if he still won’t let me by even after I give him the cubes? I need to be smarter than him.

Slowly I take one of the cubes out of my pocket. The door I’m trying to get to is on my left side, so I hold the cube in my right hand and put out my right arm beside my body as far as it will go. To get to the cube, Twister has to step away from the door. The cube is small, so he eats it quickly, but I have two more cubes. I do the same thing two more times. Each time while he’s busy reaching for the cube and swallowing it, I’m busy scootering my behind toward the door.

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