Pony Surprise Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyes.
    â€˜Please accept this special award for long service to the riders of the Pony Palace,’ she says. ‘I know that you’ve been feeling tired for some time now, so today, Rupert, I am officially announcing your retirement.’

    It takes a few moments for Kate’s words to sink in. The adults are all standing now, clapping and cheering for me. I don’t know whether to feel happy or sad. All the other ponies are snorting and whinnying and congratulating me and I realise they’ve all been in on this all along. Kate places a ribbon around my neck and gives me a gentle kiss on the nose.
    â€˜I know you can be a bit grumpy sometimes,’ she says. ‘But you’ve always come out to ride, rain, hail or snow – even when you didn’t want to.’
    She turns to the audience. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Rupert will be retiring from all riding lessons, but he’ll still be living here at the Pony Palace and you’re all welcome to come and visit him.’
    Kate smiles at me and scratches me softly behind the ear.
    â€˜Jamie insisted that we celebrate your retirement like this, Rupert. He’s your biggest fan and he’s really going to miss riding with you. But you’ll still be here and you’ll still be loved and surrounded by all your friends. We’re very lucky to have you, Rupert – and I hope you know how lucky you are to have had so many wonderful riders over the years.’
    And do you know what? I absolutely do. Jamie parades me around the arena and the noise of applause and congratulations is deafening. I can see grown-ups who rode me when they were boys and girls many years ago, back when I was as young and spirited as Skippy. For some of them I was their very first pony.
    I see Barney and Biscuit and Kaz and Tonto and Daisy and lots of the other horses who have shared this arena with me over the years. And as Jenny pulls the big door of the arena back, we all look outside and see the sun setting over the Pony Palace and I really have a lump in my throat. The stables and the arena are all bathed in a soft, pale light that twinkles on our coats. It’s the perfect ending to a perfect day.
    Our riders dismount and walk us to our stables. Parsley is nickering softly to me and Skippy is telling me she hopes she will serve the Pony Palace for as long as I did. They tell me they’ve been keeping this a secret for weeks. I can’t believe how lucky I am. I may be getting old and tired and grumpy, but I still have lots of wonderful friends here. Our riders are brimming with excitement about their own lives, too.
    â€˜I can’t believe Dad came to see me! I’m so happy he’s home!’ Ben is saying.
    Sophie seems to be on cloud nine too, telling the boys how her mum and dad are both going to come to lessons with her every week from now on.
    Jamie is the quietest, and I know he’s still a bit worried about his granddad. I think he’s going to really miss me – and I know I’m going to miss him. I think he’s been my favourite rider of all time at the Pony Palace.
    We can smell the sweet, clean straw as we walk into the stables and as our bodies warm up, we whinny across to each other – Parsley, Skippy and me. We look out over the half door and watch the happy families leaving the Pony Palace together. I think about the lovely, long future ahead of me; relaxing and grazing and taking each day at my own pace, watching new kids and old kids come and go, keeping an eye on Kate and keeping the other ponies in line, and I know I couldn’t be happier. Long live retirement and long live the Pony Palace!
    The End

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Fact Files
    Name: Skippy
    Colour: Grey
    Height: 13 hh
    Loves: Cantering
    Hates: Staying still
    Name: Parsley
    Colour: Chestnut
    Height: 12 hh
    Loves: Looking pretty
    Hates: Other ponies being too close to her bottom!
    Name: Rupert
    Colour: Chestnut
    Height: 12 hh
    Loves: Relaxing in his