Rascal Read Online Free PDF Page A

called “skittish.” Lizzie wasn’t sure what that meant, but itmight have something to do with kicking or biting. Lizzie was getting used to horses. She wasn’t nearly as scared of them as she had been, but she still thought it was best to be careful.
    Then Lizzie looked down to the last stall and caught a glimpse of a glossy brown horse. It had a big, noble head and soft, dark eyes that met Lizzie’s with curiosity. “Wow,” Lizzie said. She didn’t know much about horses, but she could tell at a glance that this one was special. She started walking toward its stall. The horse tossed its head and whinnied as she approached. She stopped for a moment. But then she couldn’t resist moving closer.
    There was a sudden booming noise. Lizzie stopped in her tracks. What was
that?
    â€œLizzie, stop!” Maria called from the other end of the aisle. “Don’t go any closer!”
    Lizzie backed up a few steps, keeping her eye on the horse, who was now tossing its head again. The whites of its eyes were showing and its earswere pointed back. Lizzie knew that when a dog’s ears looked like that it was often scared or mad. That was probably true for horses, too.
    Maria ran up to Lizzie. “That’s Sir Galahad,” she said. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”
    Lizzie nodded. He was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. His glossy brown coat was gleaming, and his black mane and tail were long and silky. “Is he — dangerous?” she asked.
    Maria shook her head. “No, he’s just cranky. That noise you heard? He was kicking the sides of his stall.”
    Lizzie was glad he wasn’t kicking
her.
Sir Galahad was a big horse. He seemed twice as big as Sally. “Why’s he kicking?”
    â€œHe’s just been a big old grouch lately,” Maria said. “He’s Kathy’s horse. He’s an amazing jumper. She used to show him all the time, but now he’s so moody that she doesn’t take him to horse shows. I think he’s bored, and that just makes him grouchier.”
    â€œYou’re probably right,” someone said. It was Kathy, joining them near Sir Galahad’s stall. She walked right up to the big horse and rubbed his nose. He snorted but didn’t move away. “Silly guy,” she said. “Why can’t you be nice like you used to be?”
    Lizzie sighed. “It’s so hard to get animals to do what you want them to do,” she said.
    Kathy gave her a curious look. “That’s definitely true,” she said. “But what animal are you having trouble with? Not Sally! She’s a star.”
    â€œNo,” Lizzie said. “It’s this puppy my family is fostering.” She told Kathy a little bit about Rascal. Kathy listened and nodded.
    â€œMy husband, Wayne, and I used to have a Jack Russell,” she said. “Pepper. He was kind of the stable mascot. Did you know that you can often find Jack Russells at stables? They seem to get along well with horses. Anyway, Pepper died six months ago. I still miss him like crazy, the little devil.” She laughed. “Those dogs are
so
energetic.It makes them hard to train, even though they’re so smart.”
    That made Lizzie feel better.
    Kathy thought for a moment. “Would you like to bring your little guy here next time? Maybe if I met him I could help with some training ideas.”
    â€œReally?” Lizzie asked. She had already started to have another of her great ideas. Maybe Kathy would want to adopt Rascal! He could live at the stable, with plenty of room to run and play — and get lots of attention, too. Lizzie could not imagine a better home for the little pup. “That would be awesome. Are you sure?”
    Kathy nodded. “I know it will make me sad to see a Jack Russell. Wayne and I have already decided if we ever get another dog it will be a different breed. We could never replace Pepper. But