The Mystery Horse Read Online Free PDF Page A

magazine rack caught her eye. Would Mrs. Morgan mind if she borrowed a magazine to read while she ate her sandwich? Probably not, she decided. She thumbed through the pile and settled on a new issue of Horse Sense. Like her sister, she loved horses. She picked up her cheese sandwich and carried it to the kitchen table.
    Jessie read about a Thoroughbred named Swaps, a Kentucky Derby winner. The article explained that the Thoroughbred is the result of many generations of careful breeding and is one of the fastest horses in the world. She finished the article and was flipping through the magazine when she gasped in surprise. There was a full-page picture of Star, the horse she had seen in the stable last night!
    Except his name wasn’t Star, according to the magazine. It was Wind Dancer. Jessie’s hand trembled as she took a closer look. Wind Dancer was a beautiful chestnut-brown, with a white star on his forehead—just like Star. Yes, she was almost positive that Wind Dancer and Star were the same horse. But why would the Morgans change his name? And what would he be doing at a place like Sunny Oaks?
    The caption beneath the picture said that Wind Dancer was a famous racehorse, and had a wonderful future ahead of him. He came from a distinguished line of racehorses. He was sixteen hands high and weighed eleven hundred pounds. Violet remembered the way the chestnut Thoroughbred had pranced into the barn, his head held proudly. He was every inch a champion and he knew it.
    The question was: did the Morgans know it? And if they knew who he really was, why did they lie about him? Violet rolled up the magazine as tightly as she could and headed outside. She had to find Henry and the others and tell them what she had discovered.

CHAPTER 5
    Stop, Thief!
    J essie was relieved to find Henry, Violet, and Benny sitting apart from the group, under the shade of an apple tree. They had finished eating, and Henry was whittling a chunk of white oak with his pocketknife.
    â€œYou missed lunch,” Benny said the moment Jessie sat down.
    â€œI ate inside,” she said hurriedly. Then she showed them the magazine. “Look what I found in the house.” She flipped to the picture of Wind Dancer and waited for their reaction.
    â€œOh, what a great horse,” Benny said.
    â€œHey, that’s funny,” Violet said. “He looks a little like that horse we saw last night.”
    Henry leaned over for a closer look and then shook his head in amazement. “He looks exactly like the horse we saw.” His eyes met Jessie’s. “They could be twins.”
    â€œI think it is the same horse,” Jessie said. “The Morgans call him Star, but he’s really Wind Dancer. He’s a champion racehorse.”
    â€œDo you really think so?” Violet asked. She peered at the magazine again. “You know, I think it is the same horse. But what’s he doing at Sunny Oaks?”
    â€œMaybe the Morgans kidnapped him,” Benny said. “Or horsenapped him.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Henry said slowly. “It could be they don’t know who he really is. Maybe they’re boarding him for someone.”
    â€œBut it seems like they’re hiding him,” Violet said. She still hated the idea that the chestnut horse was cooped up all alone in the barn, whoever he was. “And I didn’t believe it when they said they had to keep him away from the other horses.”
    â€œRacehorses are always around lots of other horses,” Jessie pointed out.
    â€œThat’s right,” Benny said, his eyes wide. He was getting more excited by the minute. He loved solving mysteries!
    â€œWhat should we do?” Violet’s soft eyes were serious. “Should we say something to the Morgans?”
    Henry thought for a moment. “Not just yet,” he said finally. “Let’s give it a little time and see what happens. And let’s try to get a look at that