Pony Swim

by Judy Katschke

  As they waited for the parade to begin, Yuki asked, “Why are there so many wild ponies on Assateague Island?”

  “Nobody knows the real reason,” Sarah explained, “but there are a bunch of stories about how the ponies got there.”

  “My favorite is the one about the old Spanish shipwreck,” Willa said.

  “A shipwreck?” Yuki asked.

  Willa nodded, happy to tell her favorite story. “Hundreds of years ago a Spanish ship sank off the coast of Assateague Island. The boat was carrying ponies.”

  “Oh, the poor ponies,” Yuki gasped. “Did they go down with the ship?”

  “Not all of them,” Willa said. “According to the story, many ponies swam all the way to Assateague Island.”

  “That’s where they’ve been ever since,” Sarah said, “for hundreds of years.”

  “So the horses we saw today are the great-great-great-great-grandponies of the shipwreck survivors?” Yuki asked.

  “If the story is true,” Willa said.

  “I wonder if a treasure chest also washed up from the shipwreck,” Sarah said dreamily. “A huge treasure chest filled with gold and diamonds.”

  “I know how we can find out,” Willa said, a playful gleam in her eye.

  “How?” Sarah and Yuki asked at the same time.

  “Look for ponies wearing tiaras,” Willa joked.

  Suddenly the clop-clop-clopping sound of hooves could be heard in the near distance. The three girls leaned over to look up the street. Sure enough, a team of saltwater cowboys rode their ponies down Main Street. Behind them trotted a herd of Assateague ponies.

  “Here they come,” Yuki exclaimed.

  As the herd marched by, Willa saw spectacular ponies of all colors: buckskin, bay, chestnut, palomino.

  “That’s got to be the stallion,” Sarah said.

  Willa followed Sarah’s gaze to a sturdier, more spirited pony in the parade led by two saltwater cowboys.

  Suddenly Willa saw another pony—a tinier foal—break away from the herd and slip through the amused crowd.

  “Did you see that?” Willa gasped.

  Sarah didn’t seem as surprised. “It happens every year,” she said. “One of the saltwater cowboys will bring her back.”

  “I want to do it!” Yuki blurted out.

  “Do what, Yuki?” Willa asked.

  “Find that foal,” Yuki said excitedly. “I think it’s the same pony that swam toward our boat.”

  In a flash, Yuki pushed her way through the crowd. Willa and Sarah traded a shrug then squeezed through the crowd after her.

  “There she is!” Yuki shouted.

  Willa saw some people chase after the foal, but the little runaway with the spindly legs evaded their capture as she scampered back and forth across grassy front lawns.

  “Come on,” Yuki said. She waved her hand in the direction of the foal. “I know how to catch her.”

  Willa and Sarah joined Yuki in the lighthearted chase. Just when the three friends came within a few feet of the foal, she slipped between two houses.

  Led by Yuki, the girls darted between the houses too. They found the runaway pony in a backyard nibbling on fresh green grass.

  “Gotcha!” Sarah exclaimed.

  “Shh!” Yuki said as the pony picked up her head.

  The little foal studied Willa, Sarah, and Yuki with curious brown eyes. They were the same eyes Willa had seen from the boat at the pony swim.

  “Hey, there,” Yuki greeted the pony softly. “Easy . . . easy. . . .”

  With a gentle smile Yuki walked slowly to the foal, her arm stretched out. The pony cocked her head, and shaking her dark brown mane, she welcomed Yuki inching closer and closer.

  “Wow,” Sarah whispered to Willa. “Whatever books she’s reading about ponies I want to borrow.”

  As Willa watched Yuki, it became clear how much she loved the frisky little pony.

  “That’s a good girl,” Yuki said softly. She was about to touch her when—

  “There you are,” someone said.

  The three friends whirled around. Standing behind them was a smiling saltwater cowboy.

  “Looks like we’ve got an escape artist in the bunch.” The cowboy chuckled. “Come on, Houdini, let’s get you back before the parade passes you by.”

  He placed a gentle but firm arm around the foal’s neck. His other arm rested on her back as he carefully turned her around. The foal didn’t buck. Instead, she allowed the cowboy to lead her back between the houses to Main Street.

  “Where will she go now?” Yuki asked.

  “Where all the other ponies are going,” Sarah explained. “To the carnival grounds and the auction.”

  “The auction,” Yuki repeated. “That means the ponies will be bought, right?”

  “Some will,” Sarah continued. “The others will swim back to Assateague in a few days.”

  “You were great with that little foal, Yuki,” Willa said. “I think she really liked you.”

  “Her name is Catalina,” Yuki said.

  Willa turned to Yuki. “You named the pony?”

  “It’s Spanish,” Yuki explained. “I think she should be named after her brave pony ancestors that swam from the Spanish shipwreck to Assateague.”

  “Catalina,” Sarah repeated slowly.

  “It’s a pretty name,” Willa said. “Especially for a pony.”

  “Speaking of ponies,” Sarah said. “Let’s go back while there are still ponies on Main Street.”

  “Oh, right,” Yuki answered. She practically skipped ahead of Willa and Sarah as they made their way back to the parade.

  “Yuki really likes that little foal,” Willa whispered to Sarah.

  “Maybe a little too much,” Sarah whispered back.

  As they looked for a new viewing spot, Willa thought about what Sarah said. What did she mean? How can anyone like a pony too much?

  Chapter 8

  ONCE THE PARADE WAS OVER, Willa and Yuki started back to Misty Inn.

  “See you at the carnival tonight!” Sarah called, heading home to the Starlings’.

  “Tell me more about the pony auction, Willa,” Yuki said as their feet crunched along a pebbly path. “Why are the ponies brought to Chincoteague to be sold?”

  “To control the size of the herd,” Willa explained. “Too many ponies on Assateague Island wouldn’t be safe or healthy.”

  “When is the pony auction?” Yuki asked.

  “Tomorrow,” Willa answered. “The ponies will be corralled for the night on the carnival grounds. In the morning some will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.”

  Willa stopped to pick a wildflower. As she twirled the stem between her fingers, she said, “Ben and I will be there tomorrow. We got to see our first pony swim. Tomorrow we’ll see our first pony auction.”

  “I’d like to go to the auction too,” Yuki said.

  “Great,” Willa said. “You’ll have to ask your mom, you know. But you can sit with Ben and me. Maybe we’ll see Catalina.”

  Yuki shook her head. “I don’t want to just see Catalina, Willa,” she said. “I want to buy Catalina.”

  Stunned, Willa dropped the wildflower on the ground. Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

  “You want to buy a pony?” Willa asked.

  “With my birthday money,” Yuki said. “I was going to buy Chincoteague pony souvenirs. Instead I’ll buy a real, live Chincoteague pony!”

  “Yuki,” Willa said. “A real pony costs more than a pony statue or T-shirt. Your mom doesn’t even like horses.”

  “I won’t tell my mom until she meets Catalina,” Yuki explained. “I know she’ll fall in love with her too.”

  “But, Yuki—”

  “We’ll get to stay home together and take care of Catalina,” Yuki went on excitedly, “instead of going all over the country on Mom’s photo shoots.”

  “What’s wrong with going on her photo shoots?” Willa asked.

  “Mom is so busy taking pictures
that she has no time for me,” Yuki explained. “And when she travels on shoots without me, I miss her.”

  “Sorry, Yuki,” Willa said, feeling bad.

  “It’s okay, Willa,” Yuki said with a smile. “I just know having our own pony will keep Mom at home. It’ll be great!”

  Willa didn’t know what else to say as they approached Misty Inn. When Yuki saw Starbuck grazing in the pasture, she raced toward her.

  Willa was about to follow when Ben hurried over.

  “You’ve got to come to the porch, Willa,” Ben said breathlessly. “I need your help now.”

  “What happened?” Willa asked.

  “Mr. Ross is talking on his phone again,” Ben replied. “This time he looks serious.”

  Willa drew in a deep breath. She was so busy with the pony swim, parade, and Yuki that she had forgotten about the mystery travel critic. But Ben hadn’t.

  “He doesn’t look happy, Willa,” Ben insisted, “and if our critic isn’t happy, Misty Inn and Mom and Dad won’t be happy after we get a stinky review.”

  “Okay, okay,” Willa said. “Let’s offer Mr. Ross some of Dad’s lemonade. That always makes guests happy.”

  “Good idea,” Ben said with a thumbs-up.

  As they hurried toward the house, Willa asked, “Should we offer Mrs. Iori some lemonade too?”

  “I guess we can,” Ben said. “But she’s not the mystery travel critic.”

  Willa stared at her brother. Mr. Fox wasn’t the critic and now Mrs. Iori isn’t either? How many guests are left? she wondered.

  “How do you know Mrs. Iori isn’t a travel critic?” Willa asked.

  “Because she’s a wildlife photographer for a travel magazine,” Ben explained. “She was showing Mom and Dad pictures she took today of Chincoteague birds and flowers.”

  That is a neat job, Willa thought. “Any photos of horses?” she asked hopefully.

  “Nope,” Ben said.

  “Well, if Mrs. Iori isn’t the one,” Willa told Ben, “that leaves us with Mr. Ross.”

  Willa and Ben climbed up on the porch, where Mr. Ross sat murmuring into his phone. The Greens were there too. New Cat was curled on Ida’s lap as the couple swung lazily on the wooden porch swing.

  When Mr. Ross saw Willa and Ben, he ended his call and smiled.

  “Hi, Mr. Ross,” Willa said, smiling too. “It’s very hot. Would you like a glass of our dad’s cold lemonade?”

  “He makes it with fresh-squeezed lemons and honey,” Ben piped in. “One hundred percent natural.”

  “Lemonade sounds great,” Mr. Ross agreed. “Thanks.”

  “We’d love some lemonade too, please!” Mr. Green said cheerily.

  “I’ll have a sprig of mint, please,” Mrs. Green added, “with crushed ice. Your kitchen does have crushed ice, doesn’t it?”

  “Crushed and cubes,” Willa stated. She didn’t mind waiting on Ida and Elmer. Even though they weren’t the mystery critics, they still were guests at the inn.

  Willa and Ben were about to go inside when Mr. Ross said, “Uh . . . excuse me?”

  Willa and Ben turned toward him.

  “The pony auction is tomorrow, right?” Mr. Ross asked.

  “Bright and early,” Willa said.

  “Good,” Mr. Ross said. He raised an eyebrow. “Because I think I need your help.”

  Willa and Ben traded a sideways glance. What kind of help? And why was the mystery travel critic being so . . . mysterious?

  By the time Willa and Ben went to the carnival that night, they had discovered what Mr. Ross meant. He wanted to bid for a pony at the auction, but not just any pony. It had to be a pony a kid would love.

  Mom would be at the auction with the other Misty Inn guests, so she had no problem with Willa and Ben helping Mr. Ross. Willa wanted to help, but she was also puzzled.

  “If Mr. Ross is a mystery travel critic,” Willa told Sarah and Lena, “why would he want to buy a pony?”

  Ben had gone off with Chipper to ride the Ferris wheel. Willa and her friends stood in the cotton-candy line. She had not told Sarah or Lena about Yuki wanting to buy a pony too. Willa hoped she had changed her mind by now.

  “I know why Mr. Ross wants a pony,” Lena said. “He’s testing you to see if you go the extra mile for your guests.”

  The cotton-candy smell got sweeter and stronger as the girls inched toward the stand. Sarah and Lena watched a juggler. Willa looked at the bustling carnival grounds.

  Colorful lights on the rides twinkled against the darkening but still-light summer sky. Both kids and adults tried their luck at noisy arcade games while food stands sold everything from seafood snacks to pony swim souvenirs.

  Willa was about to look for the pony corral when someone tapped her arm. It was Yuki, holding a bag of popcorn and wearing a glow-in-the-dark necklace.

  “Hi, Yuki,” Willa said. “I didn’t see you and your mom at dinner.”

  Yuki pulled Willa away from the line. “My mom wanted to go out for dinner,” she said. “But that’s not the problem.”

  “There’s a problem?” Willa asked. “What?”

  She could see Mrs. Iori in the distance taking pictures of the festivities.

  “Mom wants to go to the mainland tomorrow,” Yuki complained. “She wants to get away from the crowds.”

  Yuki’s shoulders drooped. “We’re leaving so early that I can’t go to the pony auction.”

  Willa didn’t want to admit it, but she was a bit relieved. Yuki wouldn’t be able to buy Catalina anyway.

  “It’s okay, Yuki,” Willa said. “I know Catalina will get a great home—”

  “With me,” Yuki cut in. “Willa, will you bid for Catalina for me tomorrow?”

  Willa stared at Yuki. “Me? Yuki, I can’t do that. I’m too young.”

  “Sure, you can,” Yuki said with a smile. “Just don’t be nervous. You’ll be awesome.”

  Willa’s heart pounded inside her chest. Yuki really wasn’t kidding about buying Catalina.

  “I told you,” Willa said, “ponies are expensive—”

  “I have fifty whole dollars in birthday money,” Yuki interrupted proudly. “That ought to do it.”

  “Fifty dollars?” Willa cried. Ponies at the auction went for thousands of dollars. She couldn’t believe how unrealistic Yuki was being. Willa was about to explain that when Yuki hurried back to her mom.

  “Thanks, Willa!” Yuki called over her shoulder. “Just keep Catalina in your barn until I get back.”

  “Oh, boy,” Willa groaned under her breath. She was joined by Sarah and Lena, cones of cotton candy in their hands.

  “I hope you like blue,” Sarah said, handing Willa a cone. “Was that just Yuki?”

  “What did she want?” Lena asked.

  “Just something,” Willa muttered, pulling a wad of sticky cotton candy from the cone. “Something impossible!”

  Chapter 9

  “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO tell Yuki, Willa?” Ben asked. “You can hardly even buy a saddle for fifty dollars.”

  Willa took a long sip from her water bottle. It was early morning, but the sun was already strong. She and Ben sat in canvas chairs outside the fence of the pony corral.

  “I’ve got to tell Yuki the truth,” Willa said. “That someone with more than fifty dollars bought Catalina.”

  Willa had told Ben, Sarah, Chipper, and Lena about Yuki’s plan at the carnival last night. She had wanted to talk to Yuki after she got home, but the Ioris had gone to bed early. When Willa went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, they had already left for the mainland.

  “We have much bigger things to worry about today, Willa,” Ben said. “We have to make sure our mystery travel critic gets the pony he wants.”

  Willa glanced at the empty chair waiting for Mr. Ross. A few chairs away sat Mom and other Misty Inn guests. Mom had done a good job telling everyone to wear hats and sunglasses.

  Just then Willa saw Mr. Ross squeezing through the crowd. He smiled at Willa and Ben as
he sat in his chair. They watched as Mr. Ross slipped his briefcase underneath.

  “I was just talking to your grandpa Reed,” Mr. Ross said. “He told me that if I buy a pony today, he’ll drive it back to the mainland in his trailer.”

  Mr. Ross grinned as he went on. “Last night your parents told me I can keep the new pony in your barn until I take it home.”

  Ben grinned. “Misty Inn aims to please, sir.”

  Ben was so over the top, Willa had to laugh to herself. But she was glad Mom and Dad agreed to house the pony in their barn. “Since Buttercup is at the Starlings’,” she told Ben and Mr. Ross, “the new pony will keep Starbuck company.”

  “I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some pony questions before the auction,” Mr. Ross said, putting on his sunglasses. “For starters, what makes a Chincoteague pony special?”

  Willa was happy to answer that question. “A Chincoteague pony is smaller, more compact, and sometimes shaggier than others,” she explained. “They’re usually as sweet as puppy dogs too.”

  “And they get along great with kids,” Ben added. “As you can see, we are kids so we should know.”

  “Perfect!” Mr. Ross said. “There’s one kid I know who will love having her own Chincoteague pony.” Mr. Ross held up his phone. On it was a picture of a smiling girl with a missing front tooth, short hair, and big green eyes.

  “This is my niece, Taylor,” Mr. Ross explained. “She had a rough year being sick, but she’s fine now. I’m getting her a pony for her ninth birthday.”

  “Where does Taylor live?” Ben asked.

  “Taylor and her family live in Virginia,” Mr. Ross replied. “Not too far from me.”

  “Do they have a stable?” Willa asked.

  “No, but Taylor’s grandparents do,” Mr. Ross explained. “She’ll get to see her new pony almost every day.”

  “Cool,” Willa said. Taylor’s grandparents sounded just like Grandma Edna and Grandpa Reed.

  “Thanks for explaining the Chincoteague ponies,” Mr. Ross said. “You’ve been a big help.”