May 2009 Story Contest

 

Jenny by hope

Chapter 1 - Loneliness

Once there was a little girl who had dark blue eyes, brown hair and a beautiful smile.  Her name was Jenny--but at one time you could not tell she even had a smile.  Though she lived on an old farm, she did not smile because she was very lonely.   Her father and mother worked all day, and she had no pets.

One day as she was praying about it, she jumped up, “Oh!” she said, “I want a horse! That’s what I want--a horse!”  So as soon as her father got home, she ran to him.

 “Daddy, may I please get a horse?” she asked.

Her father thought for a moment, “Let me talk to your

Mother and see what she says, Jenny.” 

Jenny smiled.   “O.K.” she said.

The next day when he got home he came up to her room. “Honey,  I am sorry but we can’t get you a horse right now.  We have some bills to pay off.  Maybe someday.”

So a few lonely weeks went by, until she thought the deep dark emptiness would never end.  One snowy afternoon, she came into her room, and there on the bed was a little black and brown puppy.  With a happy cry, she ran to it and hugged it.   At that moment her spirit lit up, and for the first time in weeks she smiled.

 
Chapter 2  -  Birthday Surprise

As time past, even though Jenny loved her little puppy (whom she named Patches), she realized that her heart still longed for a horse.  One morning in May, she woke up to find the sun shining brightly in her eyes.   She blinked and then jumped out of bed.   “Today is my 10th birthday!” she said to herself.

After she made her bed, she ran down stairs to find her mother and father at the breakfast table.  As soon as they had eaten, her parents gave her a gift of a dog brush and a book.   Then her father smiled and pointed in the corner to a BIG box.   She walked over to it, opened it, and  then she gave a squeal of delight!  In the box was full tack for a horse!!

 “Oh, Father!  Did you get me a horse?!” and without another word she ran out the door toward the barn with Patches right behind her.

When she got to the barn,  she walked in and there nickering her heart out was a little black mare with a white mane and tail.  “A pony!” she cried, as her mother and father walked in smiling.

 “We wanted to surprise you,” her mother said.  Then her father gave her an apple to give to the mare.  Once again the gloom went away, but this time it would not come back.

“I know what I will name her.”

“What?” said her father.

“I will name her Moonlight.”

Chapter 3 - Friends

One month went by, as she and Moonlight rode over every path in their woods. They ran up and down the hills. They went on picnics in the field, and Patches (of course) was with them on all their adventures.

Moonlight would do whatever Jenny asked her to do, and Jenny would brush her, feed her and clean out her stall. But most of all she loved and cared about her. Moonlight, Jenny and Patches were inseparable friends!

 One day when Jenny came in the stall, she found Moonlight lying on the ground!  She ran to her! “Moonlight! What’s wrong?” she cried.

 
Chapter 4 – Moonbeam

Moonlight nickered and nudged Jenny, who was shaking with fright.  She thought a moment, then quick as a flash remembered an old man who lived down the road who used to be a horse vet. She and Patches ran down to the old man’s farm and told him what had happened.  When he came back with them, he went straight to the barn and knelt down by Moonlight.

“She’s in foal,” he said.

 Jenny’s mouth opened wide.  “How’s that?” she said.

“My guess is, she was with a stallion before you got her. Now hurry! Get some blankets and some water.”

 So when Jenny’s father got home, he found the old man, Jenny, Moonlight, and a wobbly-legged foal with a white mane and tail and a white spot on its face and back.  Her father smiled.   “What are you going to name him?” he asked.

 “Moonbeam.” she said with a smile.

 
Chapter 5 - The Storm

“Hurry, Moonlight!” Jenny said in a scared voice, “That storm’s getting close!”

They had gone out on a ride farther into the woods than they usually did.  The approaching storm was making it so dark they could hardly see the path home.  A clap of thunder sent Moonbeam under his mother. He had never heard that strange noise before, and it was too loud for him!

Jenny pushed Moonlight into a canter, with Moonbeam and Patches behind them. Then, as another clap of thunder shook the ground, they took off at a gallop! Rain began to pour down upon them, and as they ran down the road, a bolt of lightning hit the tree in front of them. Moonlight reared and took off straight ahead. Before Jenny knew what was happening, they were flying through the air, had cleared the fallen tree, and were heading toward home. Moonbeam followed his mother, climbing quickly over the tree with Patches.

So they all made it home safely, very wet but happy as can be!  When she went to bed, she re-lived the moment of the daring ride and dreamed of many more adventures to come.

 The End