Prize Problems Read Online Free PDF Page B

of white on his nearside shoulder and another one on his offside flank, which broke up his dark brown body and black mane and tail. He looked so cool. He sounded anything but.
    â€œWhich one is the fat one?” asked Appaloosa Dot-2-Dot, her head going from side to side as she examined us all.
    â€œI wouldn’t worry,” Harry told her. “She’s obviously a Shadow candidate.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Upon hearing his name the ancient snowy-white pony opened his eyes briefly before closing them again.
    â€œDon’t worry, Shad, we’ll wake you if anything interesting happens,” promised Sprout, yawning.
    â€œWhich it won’t!” snapped Sorrel.
    Any enthusiasm I’d felt was now oozing out through my boots and trickling on to the grass like a mutating virus. This was so not what I’d expected.
    â€œWhich one is the fat one?” repeated Dot.
    â€œHey you guys, what does Dot-2-Dot have in common with my manger two minutes after feeding time?” asked Harry.
    â€œThey’re both empty!” chorused the other ponies, laughing.
    â€œI don’t get that,” said Dot.
    â€œAre they saying anything?” Bean asked me, out of the side of her mouth. “Are they as cute as they looked on the website?”
    â€œYes they are,” I hissed back, “and no they’re not!”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    I sighed—I was about to burst Bean’s bubble of positivity. “The piebald thinks we all look useless, Sorrel is uptight and grumpy and Cherokee keeps complaining about his legs—and they’re being really rude about Grace.”
    â€œGrace? Why?”
    â€œThey say she’s fat!”
    Bean looked across at Grace who was sucking another strand of hair. “You couldn’t call her fat,” she murmured, “she’s just a bit bigger than the rest of us.”
    â€œThat’s not how they see it.”
    Annabelle gave us all one of her trying-too-hard smiles. She had changed into a lavender-colored polo shirt with purple jodhpurs, which reminded me of Katy. I wondered, with a pang of homesickness, how she was getting on with Drummer and resolved to call her as soon as possible for an update.
    Unaware of having lost me to thoughts of home, Annabelle continued, brandishing her clipboard. “We’ve allocated ponies according to your experience so now’s your time to start bonding!”
    Sharon held a green halter at arm’s length. “Who’s got Harry?” she asked Annabelle.
    â€œEllie, dear, we’ve given you Harry, our gorgeous piebald,” Annabelle enthused. “I know you two are going to get on famously.”
    â€œYeah, like a house on fire!” I heard Harry chuckle.
    Taking the halter, Ellie glanced at the field gate, the confidence she’d shown earlier totally gone.
    â€œWe’ll all go in and catch the ponies together,” explained Annabelle.
    â€œShadow?” asked Sharon.
    â€œGrace,” said Annabelle.
    â€œPhew!” sighed Bean.
    â€œThank goodness!” sighed Sorrel, as Grace took the blue halter from Sharon’s outstretched hand.
    â€œTold ya!” snapped Harry, triumphantly. “Saw that one coming a mile away!”
    â€œSprout?” asked Sharon, holding out a leather halter and rope. Annabelle read out my name. I had really wanted Cherokee, as he reminded me of Drummer, but Sprout looked fun, and I wasn’t disappointed.
    â€œHe’s a bit of a lunatic,” Sharon told me, and winked.
    â€œOh, OK,” I gulped, wondering what form of lunatic Sprout would be.
    Amber got her wish and was paired with Sorrel, giving an air punch and emitting a yell of YES!, and Bean was given Cherokee ( “Dirt-colored, thank goodness!” I heard her exclaim), which left Zoe to catch Dot-2-Dot with the pink harness presented to her by Sharon.
    Accepting my carrot bribe, Sprout stuck his nose in his harness