Pony Pals, Book 1 - I WANT A PONY

Chapter 7 Snow White's Sleepover

After they did the dishes, Lulu and Pam headed out to the barn with their sleeping bags. The full harvest moon glowed on the horizon. "Look, the moon is so bright you can see the yellow and orange leaves on the sugar maple tree," Pam said. Lulu like that Pam noticed things like that. "That's just the sort of thing my dad says," Lulu giggled. The girls passed the horse paddock.

Acorn's and Lightning's coats were glowing in the moonlight. When they got to the barn, Lulu asked, "Which stall is Snow White in?" "The last on the right," Pam answered. Lulu was suddenly very anxious to be with Snow White. She dropped her sleeping bag and ran through the barn until she came to the last stall. Looking over the wooden gate, she saw Snow White standing in the corner. Her injured leg was wrapped in a huge bandage. Lulu also noticed little stitches dotting the pony's white coat like stiff black hairs. She felt sad for all that the pony had been through. She went into the stall. "Hi, Snow White," she said quietly. "How are you feeling?" Snow White didn't even look up. Pam came in behind Lulu and said, "She must be very tired from everything." "Look at all the stitches," Lulu whispered. "And her leg. How can she was with

that thing? It goes up over her hock. She can't bend her leg." "That's the idea," Pam explained. "My dad says that the bandage is supposed to keep her leg stiff so the stitches will stay in place and the wound will heal." Then Pam went back outside to feed Acorn and Lightning. While she was gone, Dr. Crandal came in to tell Lulu what to do for Snow White that night. "We'll know that Snow White is on the road to recovery," Dr. Crandal concluded, "when she's eating and moving around." When Dr. Crandal left, Lulu made a neat copy of his instructions.
To take care of Snow White tonight
1. Give plenty of water
2. Try to get S.W. to eat hay
3. Try to get S.W. to walk
4. Call doctor (on barn phone) if any questions or problems

Pam came back into the barn with Anna, who had arrived for the sleepover. While Snow White slept, the girls set up the empty stall next to Snow White's with their sleeping bags. Anna patted her backpack and said, "I brought over some quiches and kiwi tarts left over from the party my mother catered." "Sometimes," Pam told Lulu, "Anna brings the weirdest things to school for lunch." At mention of school, they all said together, "What grade are you in?" Pam and Anna were asking Lulu. And Lulu was asking them. They answered in unison, too. "Fifth grade." All three girls laughed and hit high fives. "How many fifth-grade classes are there?" Lulu asked. "Only one," Anna said. "So," Pam said, "we're all in the same class." "And," Anna continued, "our teacher,

Mr. Livingston, is nice. You'll like him." The girls yelled "All right!" and hit high fives again. They were all giggling. But not so loudly that they hear Snow White neigh. "She's awake!" Lulu shouted. They ran to the pony's stall. Snow White was finally awake but still standing in the corner. Lulu mentioned the other two girls to stand back while she went up to the pony. "It's all right, Snow White," Lulu said. "You're going to be okay. You probably feel a little drowsy from the medicine Dr. Crandal gave you. But you're going to be fine" Snow White neighed again. Lulu offered the pony water, but Snow White refused. Remembering their time together in the field, Lulu dipped into the pail and offered Snow White lapped the water. After that the pony drank more water from the pail.

"It would be a good sign," Lulu said, "if she'd eat and move around." "Maybe it would work better if Lulu were alone with her," Anna suggested. Pam agreed and the two girls started to leave the stall. Snow White snorted. The three girls laughed. Snow White whinned and nodded her head as if to say, "I want you all to stay." "I think she likes the sound of our voices," Lulu said. So for the next hour Pam, Anna, and Lulu visited Snow White. The girls had so much to learn about one another that there wasn't much silence. Around ten o'clock Pam said they should go outside and check on Acorn and Lightning. "I'll stay here. I want to get Snow White to eat. And walk a little, too," Lulu said. "I think we're babysitting her too much," Pam said. "If we leave her alone I bet she'll try to do more."

Anna took Lulu's hand and gave her a little pull. "Come on." Lulu hated to leave Snow White, even for a little while. But if it meant that the pony might walk, she would go. After the girls checked on Lightning and Acorn, they returned to the barn. Lulu was first to see Snow White's head sticking out over the stall door. "Snow White!" Lulu shouted as she ran toward the pony. "You walked!" Snow White snorted at her, as if to say, "Where were you?" Lulu stroked the pony's muzzle and said, "Good for you, Snow White." A few minutes later Snow White was munching on hay. Then Lulu got her to walk a few more steps. "I wonder if the stiff leg hurts when she walks?" Lulu asked. "Probably," a man's voice answered. The girls and Snow White all turned to see Dr. Crandal standing at the stall door. He was smiling at them. "But with you three to

distract her, she can't be be feeling to badly." Dr. Crandal was very impressed with the pony's progress. "This is a terrific pony," he said. "Somewhere along the line she's had good care and a lot of human company. She loves people." "I guess it was that girl Rema," Lulu said." "But her father doesn't care about Snow White one bit and he was so mean to Lulu, Dad." "I justed talked to Mr. Baxter," Dr. Crandal said. "He's been under a lot of stress with his new business. Also his wife's been in California because her father is in the hospital." "That's no excuse for not trying to save an animal who's been hurt," Lulu said. "Well," Dr. Crandal said, "with you girls taking care of her, this pony has a good chance for recovery." Dr. Crandal told the girls they should let Snow White rest and get some sleep themselves.

Anna and Pam said good night to the pony. Lulu waited until Snow White was fast asleep before joining them in the stall they'd set up for their sleepover. She found Anna and Pam still wide-awake and talking. "Wouldn't it be wonderful," Anna said to Lulu, "if Snow White were your pony? Then we'd all have ponies." Lulu got into her sleeping bag. For now," she said, "let's pretend Snow White is my pony." They all agreed and lay awake talking about all the things they'd do together on their ponies. It was a long list.