Monica Pierrazzi Mitri - My Best Friend, the Pony: A Story for Beginning Readers

Story and illustrations: Monica Pierazzi Mitri

Copyright ditions CARAMEL
All rights reserved
Otto de Mentockplein 19
1853 Strombeek-Bever/Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 263 20 40
www.caramel.be

2014, ebook version Primento and Caramel

e-ISBN : 978-2-511-02369-3

Powered by Primento, the Digital Partner of Publishers

Its a summer day and my grandfather is coming back home from his friends riding stables. As the pickup moves closer I can see a furry head popping out from the back of the truck. Its a pony!

I know it was your dream! my grandpa says and I give him a big hug to thank him. I love taking care of animals and he is right, I have always dreamt of having a pony ever since I was a baby!

I come closer to the little horse and she neighs adorably, showing me her big white teeth as if she were laughing!

I embrace her neck We will live many adventures together! I whisper in her ear and she neighs again.

The pony is really lovely and every time I say something to her, she responds with her funny cry and shaking the long blond forelock, which is why I called her Blondie.

Blondie sleeps in the stable. Her room is a box made of wood with much hay on the ground. She likes her hay and shes a big eater.

One day I forgot to lock the box gate and Blondie slipped out of the stable and trotted into the backyard. There were a lot of fresh vegetables and she tasted every single one of them.

My grandmother saw her and cried out Oh no! My home-grown vegetables! What a mess! Blondie looked at her with a carrot in her mouth and tried to give her the biggest smile ever!

Its time for us to have a ride together.

I try to put her saddle on but she refuses it, she starts to have a tantrum and bucks until I pull her reins very hard. Please Blondie, I swear you will have a lot of fun! and finally she lets me on.

She looks happy, she starts trotting in the countryside.

Then she speeds up her steps a bit and suddenly she starts galloping fast as the wind.

Please stop! You are going too fast! I cry but Blondie cant hear me, shes busy having the best time of her life!

She runs free on the grass, stretching her legs and chasing the horizon. Fortunately she will soon be hungry again and she will stop to graze. I just have to hang on for a while!

Blondie likes to be groomed every morning.

I rub her down with care and she really appreciates the treatment. I scratch her back and pet her forehead.

I brush her long mane and the tail and finally shes perfect.

You look like a toy pony! I joke and she whinnies back shaking her head with satisfaction. But it doesnt last long.

In the afternoon shes having a walk in the farm when she sees a wonderful butterfly flying before her very nose.

Shes enchanted by its colourful flapping wings and she doesnt watch her step.

She cant see the slimy puddle just in front of her so a moment later... Splat!

Now shes all covered in mud and the butterfly is gone!

Blondie spends a lot of time grazing in the yard. Everyday, in the meadow, she discovers a new tasty herb or smelly flower to chew and she whinnies in delight. But from the fence Blondie can see there are many new coloured flowers in the little garden she hasnt tasted yet.

She jumps over the wooden fence and starts eating the flowers and every time she whinnies a bit more loudly. Mom becomes suspicious of all the excitement and looks out of the window Blondie, get out of here! she yells.

The pony runs away and tries to hide behind a bale but her head comes out on the side. Moms beloved flowers are smashed on the ground all around.

As all other farm animals, Blondie has always many flies annoying her. They lay on her muzzle, they tickle her ears and they pinch her skin. So Blondie chases them away by moving the bushy tail, vigorously shaking the head and she scratches her back against the trees.

Sometimes she tries to catch them with her lips but shes way too slow! She uses her soft lips to pull out grass from the ground and to pick fruits from the branches and sometimes to kiss me. She licks my face with her pink slimy tongue and covers me in dribble.

Oh Blondie, its disgusting! I complain but she looks so sweet I start laughing and she shows me her big teeth and makes a happy neigh.

Blondie is a bit naughty. She likes to scare little birds and make them fly away in panic. She suddenly whinnies or makes noise by stamping her hooves hard on the ground or she bumps on purpose against the trees were they rest.

So when she finds out there are even bigger birds in the farm just waiting to be scared, she is all excited.

No Blondie! my grandfather reproaches her but nothing can make her give up: she hops inside the henhouse and all the chickens screech, fluttering around her. The more they make a fuss, the more Blondie is satisfied. In a few seconds the henhouse is a mess with feathers flying all around the pony.