Horse Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t!”
    I can’t believe this. I’ve helped Mom at the cat farm before. There’s a barn there, and I guess it has stalls. But the whole barn is filled with cats.
    Mom takes in a deep breath and turns to me. “I wish you had been there, Ellie. You know I’m as useless as a trapdoor in a canoe when it comes to horses. But the driver of the trailer unlocked the tailgate and told me the horse was all mine. Then he just disappeared.”
    â€œWhat did you do?” I press.
    â€œI put down the tailgate and walked into the trailer. That poor old horse seemed half dead, tied up so tight it couldn’t move. So I untied it. I told it to stay put while I cleared the cats out of one of the stalls. And that’s exactly what I did. I went to the barn and chased the cats out of the corner stall. Only when I went back to the trailer . . .”
    â€œThe horse was gone!” I shout because I can’t stand it another minute. “Mom, did that horse have black-and-white spots?”
    â€œWhy, yes. It was spotted. I can’t say, though, if it was black with white spots or white with black spots.”
    â€œAnd did it look like it hadn’t had a good meal in a long time?” I ask.
    Mom looks amazed. “Oh, my, yes. That poor creature would have to stand up twice to leave a shadow.” She stops talking and stares at me. “Ellie, how on earth did you know that horse was skinny and spotted?”
    â€œBecause you lost the horse I imagined! Mom, I found your horse!”

6

    Coincidence?
    Dad and I do our best to bring Mom up to speed on my “imaginary” horse and Dad’s call from Principal Fishpaw. Then Ethan comes in. And we have to explain all over again.
    â€œWell, if that don’t beat the band, as your granny used to say!” Mom exclaims.
    â€œSome coincidence, all right,” Dad agrees.
    I grin at Ethan. I know what he’s thinking. Ethan says there’s no such thing as a coincidence. Only God-things—events only God could bring together.
    I have to agree with my brother on this one. My seeing the same spotted horse Mom lost? Definitely a God-thing. “So wait a minute. Where’s the horse now?”
    â€œI have no idea,” Mom answers.
    â€œAre you saying the horse is still out there? She’s not still lost, is she?”
    â€œMary Louise has the entire Hamilton police force out searching,” Mom says.
    â€œMom, the entire police force means Sheriff Duffy and his deputy, right? And Sheriff Duffy is scared to death of horses. Not to mention cows and sheep.”
    â€œTrue,” Mom admits. “That sheriff is pretty much all hat and no cattle.” She yawns, stretching her long arms and knocking the plaque with our family crest off the wall. She picks it up with a broad sweep of her arm. “Mary Louise said if they had any trouble, she’d call the animal control people to come help.”
    â€œNo!” I cry. “You can’t let animal control get to that horse! You know what they do to homeless animals!”
    I know what they do to them. They “put them to sleep.”
    â€œI didn’t think of that,” Mom admits. She grabs her keys off the table. “You’re right. I lost that horse. And it’s up to me to find it. It’s my civic duty.” She aims a half smile at my dad, who is used to her civic duty. “There’s meat loaf in the fridge, Lenny.”
    â€œBev, do you have to go?” Dad begs. “Can’t they get along without you for once?”
    Mom shakes her head. “I feel responsible. I’ve never lost a horse before.”
    Dad frowns at the papers scattered across the table. Then he scoots his chair back and stands tall. If my dad had two heads, one on top of the other, he’d be almost as tall as my mom. “I’m coming with you. You’re going to need help.”
    Mom leans over—and