Keiko's Pony Rescue

by Crystal Velasquez

  “She’s beautiful!” Keiko sighed.

  Madison clapped her hands. “Aww … she’s so cute. Look at her fluffy coat! And she has a white mark on her nose, just like her mother.”

  Marigold was grooming her newborn filly with her tongue, cleaning every inch of the foal from her head to her hoofs. For a while, no one said a word.

  Finally, Dr. Brooks eased into the stall. “Time for your first checkup, little lady,” he said to the foal.

  Jasmine, Madison, Sofia, and Keiko watched as Dr. Brooks carefully examined the newborn.

  “It’s been a couple of hours now, so the foal should be standing,” he explained to the girls. “I’m going to gently help get her on her feet so she can have her first meal.”

  Keiko watched in awe as Dr. Brooks wrapped the foal in a gentle hug and lifted her up. To Keiko’s relief, the foal got her skinny legs under her and stood, looking a bit wobbly. Even though she had read about it in one of Aunt Yumi’s books, Keiko was still surprised to see the foal standing on her own so soon after her birth.

  Dr. Brooks helped the newborn make her way to Marigold and begin nursing.

  “Good girl, um …” Dr. Brooks turned to Aunt Yumi, his eyes twinkling. “What should I call this foal?”

  “Well, what do you say, girls—shall we give her a name?” Aunt Yumi replied. “Grace won’t mind.”

  Keiko looked down at the filly, who was attached to Marigold like a flower petal to a stem. “Why don’t we name her Daisy?” she suggested.

  Madison, Sofia, and Jasmine agreed that Daisy was the perfect name for the little pony.

  As soon as the girls had packed up their sleeping bags, they reluctantly headed back to Cherry Blossom Farm to help with the morning chores. Aunt Yumi promised they could come back right after breakfast to get a full report on the ponies from Dr. Brooks.

  The girls did their chores hurriedly and then quickly ate the plates of pancakes Uncle Henry had made for them. Then they rushed back to Grace’s farm.

  “There’s good news and bad news,” Dr. Brooks told them in greeting.

  “What’s the good news?” Keiko asked.

  “Daisy is a healthy eighty pounds with a great appetite,” he answered, giving them an amused grin. “And Marigold is tired, but she’s doing just fine.”

  Keiko breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Then what’s the bad news?” Jasmine asked nervously.

  Dr. Brooks raised his eyebrows, his forehead wrinkling. “Daisy was born with tendon problems in her legs.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Madison, a worried look on her face.

  “Newborn foals are usually able to get around within a few hours, but it’s been more than that, and she still isn’t walking. Her leg tendons are contracted, which means her front legs are too straight and at the wrong angle for walking. It’s a common problem, but if it isn’t corrected, she may need surgery.”

  “Surgery?!” Keiko gasped. “Oh no.”

  Aunt Yumi’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “That is bad news,” she agreed softly. “Surgeries are expensive, and Grace has enough on her mind with her mother being ill.”

  Keiko looked at the foal carefully. She was glad to see Daisy standing next to her mother and resting her head against Marigold’s belly. But she could also see what Dr. Brooks meant about her front legs. They looked stiff, at odd angles.

  Keiko was worried about the little filly. “What can we do to help?” she asked.

  “I’ll put splints on the legs to hold them in the correct position for about eight hours each day,” Dr. Brooks explained. “Then Daisy will need to do some carefully controlled exercises.” He glanced at Keiko, Jasmine, Madison, and Sofia. “Do you girls think you could help with that?”

  “Yes!” they cried in unison. Keiko knew she and her friends would do whatever they could to help Daisy.

  The next morning was Saturday, and Uncle Henry had invited the girls to go with him to the farmers market to sell Cherry Blossom Farm’s eggs, butter, flowers, and vegetables, while Daisy was being treated by Dr. Brooks. Uncle Henry set up his table, and the girls helped stock it with blocks of butter, cartons of eggs, and baskets of vegetables and small bouquets of flowers. Keiko was fascinated by the things for sale at the other booths, like goats’ milk, cheeses, bunches of lavender, fresh honey, and homemade jams.

  “Look, Keiko!” Jasmine said as she arranged the flowers at the front of the Cherry Blossom Farm table. “It looks like a painting.”

  Keiko agreed—the arrangement of pink and yellow wildflowers was beautiful. As Keiko gazed at the flowers, thinking she’d like to draw them, her shoulders slumped.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Jasmine. “Are you worried about Daisy? I am, too.”

  Keiko shook her head. It’s true that she was worried about Daisy. And suddenly that made the art contest seem less important—and telling her friends about it less scary.

  “Yes,” said Keiko, “but it’s not just that.” She paused. “There’s something I haven’t told you guys.”

  “What is it?” Sofia asked.

  Keiko hesitated.

  “You can tell us,” Madison said gently. “We’re your best friends, remember?”

  Keiko took a deep breath. “I didn’t win the art contest,” she blurted out.

  “I’m so sorry,” Madison said. “I know how much you were hoping to win.”

  “Yeah, that’s a bummer,” Sofia said sympathetically. “Is that why you haven’t been drawing much lately?”

  Keiko nodded. “I’m really sorry I let you guys down.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jasmine asked, surprised. “You haven’t let anyone down. We think you’re an awesome artist!”

  “But you were all so excited to see my paintings at the museum,” Keiko replied, biting her lip. “Now that will never happen.”

  “Are you kidding?” Sofia asked. “Of course it will! Just because you didn’t win this contest doesn’t mean your art will never be in a museum.”

  “Sofia’s right,” Madison said as she put her arm around Keiko. “You may not be a famous artist yet, but you will be, someday. You can’t give up on yourself—or your art—after just one contest.”

  Keiko felt relief flooding through her. She was glad she had finally told her friends the truth. They weren’t disappointed in her at all! They still believed in her just as much as before. And, Keiko realized, their support helped her feel more confident about her artwork.

  “You need cheering up,” Jasmine said. “Let’s shop for gifts for Marigold and Daisy!”

  “That’s a great idea,” said Uncle Henry, who had overheard everything. “Once we’re done selling, we’ll do some buying.”

  By the time they left the market, the girls had selected a small bag of oats and a few ripe red apples for Marigold and a soft brush especially for Daisy.

  Keiko smiled at her friends. Just telling them about the contest had made her feel so much better. Now her biggest worry was Daisy. Would the foal ever learn to walk?

  As soon as the girls got back from the farmers market, they headed over to Grace’s farm with Aunt Yumi to see the ponies. Keiko rushed to Daisy’s stall to find the filly standing awkwardly, splints attached to her front legs. They looked like large bandages.

  “Are you girls still prepared to help Daisy?” Dr. Brooks asked.

  “Definitely!” Keiko said eagerly. “Just tell us what to do.”

  The doctor demonstrated a few safe ways to encourage the foal to walk back and forth across the paddock just outside the barn.

  “Be gentle but firm,” he explained. “She might refuse to move at first. But it’s important to get Daisy to walk as much as possible to strengthen her muscles. Let her lean against you if she needs to, but try to get her to keep walking unless you think she’s really in pain. I’ll be back to check on her soon.”

  After Dr. Brooks had left, Keiko looked at her friends. “Let’s do this!”

  Gently, Keiko pulled on the lead ar
ound Daisy’s neck as Dr. Brooks had demonstrated. But the foal wouldn’t budge.

  “How is Daisy supposed to get exercise if she won’t move?” Keiko wondered aloud in dismay.

  “I don’t know,” Jasmine replied, her face full of concern. “But Dr. Brooks said she might refuse at first.”

  “There’s got to be something we can do to encourage her,” Madison said thoughtfully. “I just don’t know what it is.”

  The friends were quiet for a minute. They were stumped. Keiko didn’t want to force Daisy to walk, but she and her friends knew that if the filly didn’t get the exercise she needed, she might need surgery. That would be hard on Daisy and on Marigold and Grace, too. Aunt Yumi had explained that doing surgery on ponies was very expensive, and healing was difficult. How could they get Daisy to walk?

  That evening, the girls filed into their room and got ready for bed. But none of them could sleep. All they wanted to do was talk about Daisy.

  “We’ve got to figure out a way to get Daisy to walk,” said Jasmine.

  Sofia sighed. “Yeah, she could use some motivation,” she said thoughtfully. “Sometimes when I’m in the middle of a tough soccer game, I stay motivated by thinking of going out for ice cream after the game. Whenever we win, our coach treats the whole team!”

  “Well, I don’t think we can give a pony ice cream,” Madison replied.

  “No …” Keiko said slowly, an idea suddenly coming to her. “But we could reward her with other things she likes.” Then she added, “You know, I’ve been thinking about something Madison said to me.”

  “Who, me?” Madison asked, surprised.

  “Yes,” Keiko said, smiling at her friend. “You told me I shouldn’t give up on myself over one art contest. Well, I’m not giving up on Daisy, either!” Keiko quickly explained her plan, and her friends agreed that it was at least worth a try.

  The next morning, the girls helped milk the cows and feed the chickens before heading to Grace’s farm with Aunt Yumi. When they arrived, they found Marigold licking Daisy’s head affectionately.

  “Hi, girls,” Keiko greeted the ponies. “I hope you’re ready to walk today, Daisy.”

  “We’re here to cheer you on,” Madison said encouragingly as she, Sofia, and Jasmine backed up to give Keiko some space. They had agreed that they would follow Keiko’s lead. Since Marigold already knew and trusted the girls, she didn’t seem to mind when Keiko slowly walked Daisy out of the stall to the edge of the barn. But that’s as far as Daisy would go.

  The paddock in front of them was a large, oval-shaped enclosure with a high wooden fence. It was meant as a place for ponies to run and exercise, or for people to practice riding. But today Keiko’s goal was to get Daisy to simply walk from one end to the other.

  “I’m just going to try what Dr. Brooks showed us yesterday,” Keiko explained. “If I pull Daisy’s lead rope to the side so she’s off-balance, hopefully she’ll take a step to that side. You guys can stand nearby and spot her just in case she stumbles and starts to fall. Sound good?”

  “Yes!” her friends agreed in unison.

  Keiko stood next to Daisy and gently tugged the lead to one side while whispering encouraging words to the filly. At first Daisy resisted, but then she took a few wobbly steps to balance herself.

  “Look, it’s working!” Madison whispered excitedly.

  Keiko felt a thrill of excitement. It was time for the next part of the plan.

  “Do you have it, Sofia?” she asked.

  Sofia nodded and showed Keiko the soft brush they had bought at the farmers market.

  “Great,” Keiko said. “Now remember, we’ll use the brush as a reward every time Daisy takes a step.”

  Keiko gently pulled Daisy’s lead to the side again, and the pony took a few more halting steps. When she stopped, Keiko let the pony lean against her for a moment while Sofia brushed her fluffy, soft coat.

  “Nice job!” Keiko whispered softly in the filly’s ear.

  Next, it was Jasmine’s turn. Sofia handed her the brush, and Keiko pulled the lead gently to the opposite side. Again, Daisy resisted at first. But then she took a few small, unsteady steps forward.

  “Way to go, Daisy,” Jasmine said encouragingly. Keiko let the pony lean against her again as Jasmine patted the filly and brushed her coat.

  Once Jasmine was done brushing Daisy, she handed the brush to Madison. Keiko tugged the lead, and this time Daisy stepped forward right away, without hesitating.

  “That’s it, Daisy!” Madison said excitedly as she gently swiped the brush across the filly’s side. “You’re walking!”

  Keiko smiled at her friends. True, the filly was making progress. But would it be enough to get Daisy walking steadily on her own?

  For the next two days, the girls worked patiently with Daisy every afternoon. Aunt Yumi called Grace every day with a report on how Marigold and Daisy were doing, and the girls knew Grace was hoping to avoid expensive surgery for the filly.

  Dr. Brooks had been coming daily to remove the splints and check Daisy’s progress. He knew the filly was improving, but he hadn’t made a decision yet on whether he would have to do surgery. Today was the day of Daisy’s physical exam.

  Keiko and her friends hurried to Grace’s farm after their morning chores and breakfast and waited for the vet. As his truck pulled up, Keiko felt her stomach twist anxiously in anticipation.

  “Hi, girls,” Dr. Brooks greeted them. “Ready for Daisy’s checkup?”

  Keiko nodded, too nervous to talk.

  “Let’s see how you’re doing, girl,” Dr. Brooks said gently to the little filly. Then he ran his hands over her legs and made her walk across the paddock for him. The girls leaned against the fence of the paddock and watched in anticipation as Dr. Brooks led Daisy around the paddock one more time.

  “She looks good, right?” Keiko asked Aunt Yumi.

  Her aunt smiled proudly.

  “She does,” she replied.

  When Dr. Brooks returned to the barn, leading the pony on her lead, he was smiling.

  “She looks great,” the vet reported. “Her legs are loose and limber, and she’s improved a lot.”

  “Well?” Jasmine asked eagerly, waiting for the vet’s final verdict.

  “You girls did it,” Dr. Brooks confirmed. “This pony is in fine shape. She’s made a great recovery.”

  “Yay!” Keiko cried, throwing her arms around her friends in excitement. The four girls hugged each other and cheered, thrilled at the news.

  Just then, they heard a truck rumbling up the road. It came to a stop next to the barn, and Keiko saw Grace and her husband, Paul, climb out just as Dr. Brooks finished leading Daisy around the paddock.

  “Is that who I think it is?” Paul asked, pointing to the filly.

  “Sure is!” Keiko replied happily. “Meet Daisy!”

  Grace let out a happy laugh as she came closer to the paddock, following the foal’s every movement.

  “I can’t believe how well she’s doing!” Grace exclaimed. “This doesn’t look like a filly who will need surgery, that’s for sure.”

  “That must be a relief to you,” Aunt Yumi said, squeezing her friend’s arm.

  Dr. Brooks cleared his throat. “You have these young ladies to thank,” he said. “They came every day and worked patiently with the pony. They never gave up on her. And somehow they managed to keep Marigold happy at the same time.”

  Grace turned to the girls and smiled. “I’m so grateful.”

  Keiko beamed. She was thrilled that Daisy had improved so much, and she was especially glad to have helped Grace.

  Jasmine nudged Keiko forward. “Actually,” she said, “it was Keiko who first figured out that Marigold was in labor.”

  “She’s the one who came up with the idea we used to get the foal to walk, which helped her legs heal,” Sofia agreed.

  “She even came up with the perfect name for her!” Madison added.

  Keiko, blushing from all the praise, looked up a
t Grace. “I hope you like the name Daisy.”

  “Like it?” Grace replied. “It’s perfect! Thank you so much.”

  Keiko turned to watch Daisy trotting beside Marigold, a springy step in her long legs. “You’re welcome,” Keiko replied happily.

  The girls were fast asleep when Aunt Yumi came upstairs to wake them on their last morning at Cherry Blossom Farm.

  “Is it time to get up already?” Keiko whispered, rubbing her eyes.

  Her aunt laughed. “I’m afraid so,” she replied. “But it’s your last day of rising early, so let’s make the most of it. I have a surprise for all of you, so get dressed and meet me near the henhouse. And bring your sketchbook, Keiko!”

  The odd request got Keiko’s attention. She forced herself out of bed and shook the others awake.

  The girls dressed quickly, put on their shoes, and headed outside.

  “Aunt Yumi?” Keiko called from outside the hen coop.

  “I’m in here!” The girls heard Aunt Yumi’s voice from inside.

  When Keiko and her friends entered the tiny building, everything looked the same at first. Keiko saw the usual line of hens perched on their nests. But something sounded different. There were high-pitched chirping sounds coming from a small box at the other end of the coop.

  Aunt Yumi turned to the girls and whispered, “Marigold isn’t the only new mom around here. The chicks finally hatched last night!”

  Madison let out an involuntary squeal. Sure enough, five tiny, fuzzy yellow chicks were snuggled in a heap of pine shavings. Keiko loved how bright they were against the brown pine shavings, like little balls of butter. She immediately wanted to sketch them.

  “Oh my gosh, they’re adorable!” Jasmine said in a loud whisper.

  “Can we hold them?” Keiko asked her aunt.

  “As long as you’re careful,” Aunt Yumi replied. She lifted one chick and placed it in Keiko’s open palm, showing her how to gently hold the wings in place against the chick’s body. Aunt Yumi gave a chick to each girl.