Karen's Pony Camp

  I sat on my hay bale by myself. Hmph, I thought. Hannie is a good rider. Nancy is good at taking care of horses. Here at pony camp, I am not much good at anything.

  The Lonely Musketeer

  I took riding classes with the other beginners, and tried hard to be a good rider for Diablo. Sometimes Hannie’s new class used the same ring as mine. Hannie and Dusty practiced cantering and jumping small obstacles. Cantering looked like fun. But I was not ready to canter on Diablo.

  I counted the days until the Gales would drop off Blueberry. I had not seen him in awhile. I knew he would be twice as beautiful as the camp ponies. I pictured myself riding him into the ring. Only a few other girls had brought their own ponies. I bet even Mary-Grace Welles would be jealous of my gigundoly beautiful Blueberry.

  In the meantime, Nancy spent her riding classes and her free periods in the barn. She was not allowed to touch Ruby’s foal yet, but she watched her a lot. Mrs. Moggy had named the foal Surprise, but everyone called her Prize. Every day Nancy gave me updates on what Prize was doing. She was already scampering around the stall.

  One day during quiet period, Diane came over to my bed. Hannie was reading a book about horses. Nancy was writing a letter home. I was being my usual lonely Musketeer self.

  “Karen,” said Diane. “The gymkhana is in eight days. We are starting to plan the schedule of events. I need to know what you are going to do.”

  “I am not sure,” I said. “I have not really thought about it. I am still only a beginner. All the really fun things are for better riders.”

  “Hmm,” said Diane. “Do you think you could ride Diablo around the ring with the other beginners?”

  I thought about it. My little-house family was coming for the gymkhana and Parents’ Day. They would be watching me. Then I remembered that Blueberry was coming. “I will ride Blueberry around the ring. I am sure he will not let me down.”

  “Okay,” said Diane. “I will put you down for the beginners’ exhibition. If there are other things you want to do, just tell me. We need people to help decorate the stands and the ring, and to help in other ways.”

  “All right,” I said. “I will think about it.”

  Diane talked to the other girls in the cabin. I already knew that Hannie was going to be in a relay race and in a steeplechase and perform some other small jumps. Nancy was going to lead Ruby in our special camp parade. Prize would probably walk with Ruby, if she were ready.

  If only we were putting on a play, I thought. I am excellent at being in plays. But no one comes to a gymkhana to see a play about ponies. I turned over on my bed. Pony camp was almost over, and I still did not fit in anywhere.

  Blueberry Arrives!

  Blueberry arrived the very next day. I had just finished putting Diablo away after a riding class when I saw the Gales’ truck and horse van pull into the yard.

  “Blueberry! Blueberry!” I shouted.

  Hannie and Nancy heard me, and they came running. They had visited Blueberry with me several times. I knew they would be glad to see him.

  “Hello, Mr. Gale!” I cried. Mr. Gale smiled and waved at me. He walked around to the back of the horse van to let Blueberry out. Finally came the moment I had been waiting for. Mr. Gale put down a wooden ramp and led Blueberry down it. Mrs. Moggy and Shannon and several other campers had gathered around to meet the newest camp pony.

  “Blueberry!” I rushed forward and threw my arms around his neck. “Oh, I am so glad you are here.”

  Blueberry remembered me. (I am sure of it.) He whickered softly into my hair and nudged his nose against me. I hugged him again.

  Then I heard someone giggling. I turned around and saw Mary-Grace Welles and Casey Winters. They pointed at Blueberry and giggled again.

  I put my hands on my hips. “What is so funny?” I asked.

  “This is Blueberry?” said Mary-Grace. “The way you talked about him, I thought he was really special.”

  “He is really special!” I said. “He is perfect!”

  “Earth to Karen,” said Casey. “Just look at him. The only pony he might be better than is Mellow Yellow.”

  “Yeah,” said Mary-Grace. “Maybe.”

  I stepped back and looked at Blueberry. I had not seen him in several months. He was older than most of the camp ponies. He was a little smaller, too. His coat was fuzzy and dusty from the trip. To tell you the truth, he did not look fabulous.

  But he was still very sweet. He gently nudged me again with his velvety nose. I knew it was not his fault he did not look like the young, fancy ponies. I still loved him. And I knew I could help him look better.

  * * *

  “First we’ll shampoo him,” said Shannon briskly. She had helped me get Blueberry settled in his stall. Now she was helping me fix him up.

  “Shampoo him? With real shampoo?” I asked.

  “With special horse shampoo. The Gales took good care of Blueberry, but he could use some sprucing up,” explained Shannon.

  So we shampooed him. It was like washing a car, except cars do not move or whicker into your hair. Then we rinsed him with a hose. We scraped off most of the water with a special tool, then dried Blueberry with rough towels. He already looked very fresh and clean, and he smelled good, too. We went to work with brushes and currycombs and smooth cloths. Tons of old hair came off him.

  “I bet Blueberry has never been so clean,” I said.

  “I bet you are right,” said Shannon.

  Blueberry looked beautiful. His coat was sleek and shiny, and so smooth and clean that he gleamed. I had brushed his mane and his tail until they were silky. Then I had braided pink ribbons into them. He looked like he was ready to lead a parade.

  “He is gigundoly gorgeous,” I said happily.

  “He looks great,” said Gretchen. She was leading her pony to his stall. “I have never been able to braid my pony’s mane. Will you show me how?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “How did you get his coat so shiny?” asked Tamisha. “I wish I could get my pony’s coat so shiny.”

  “It was easy,” I said. “I can show you how to do it.”

  “What about me?” asked Hannie. She had just walked up with Dusty. “Will you help me braid Dusty’s tail for the gymkhana?”

  “Yes,” I said. I hugged Blueberry again. I felt very happy. I had found something I was good at: making ponies beautiful. Now I knew what I would do for the gymkhana. But I kept it a secret.

  All for One and One for All

  “Please pass the ketchup,” said Hannie.

  Nancy slid the bottle down the table. The three of us were sitting together at lunch. We were all talking again.

  “What color ribbon should Dusty wear?” asked Hannie.

  Nancy and I thought about it.

  “Yellow,” said Nancy.

  I nodded. “Yellow would look great against his coat.”

  “I need to make a fancy bow for Ruby’s halter,” said Nancy. “I will make it today in arts and crafts.”

  “I will help you,” I said. “I am on the decorations committee.”

  “Dusty and I will go over jumps almost a foot high,” said Hannie.

  “Wow,” I said. “Your parents will be very impressed.”

  We sat and ate our lunch together. Each of us had found a way to do something for the gymkhana — something she was good at. Even though the Three Musketeers were not totally, exactly the same all the time, we could still stick together. We could still be friends forever.

  “I have something for you two,” I said after lunch. I pulled out the three bead bracelets I had made. I gave one to Hannie and one to Nancy. I put on the last one. “These are special Three Musketeer bracelets,” I said.

  “They are beautiful,” said Hannie.

  “I will wear mine forever,” said Nancy.

  We smiled at each other. The Musketeers were back!

  Parents’ Day

  The next week flew by. You know what? I had been planning to ride Blueberry in the be
ginners’ exhibition. But I had forgotten something. Blueberry was too old to ride.

  But I did not care. Blueberry was happy at pony camp anyway. And by now Diablo was used to me, and I was used to him. I decided to ride Diablo.

  All that week, the decorations committee worked hard. I decided I was a much better decorations-maker than I was a pony-rider. I made colorful banners and posters and big cutouts of ponies and roses and other flowers. I blew up balloons and tied them to the fences of the riding ring.

  During riding class I practiced hard. I spoke firmly but kindly to Diablo. I let him know I meant business. I tried to treat him like a friend. I think it helped. Usually he did what I wanted him to. (Not always, though.)

  The day before the gymkhana (and Parents’ Day), Shannon said, “Karen, your riding is one hundred percent better. Good for you. You are almost ready to be an intermediate.”

  I felt very proud. I think Diablo felt proud, too.

  In my spare time I helped the other girls decorate their ponies. We shampooed and dried and brushed them. We rubbed their coats until they shone. I showed everyone how to braid manes and tails with ribbons.

  Shannon had showed me a secret way to make a pony look extra special. I decided to use it on Blueberry, and only on Blueberry. I could not wait.

  By Parents’ Day, Camp Happy Trails was ready for the gymkhana.

  It was the last day of camp. The Three Musketeers ate camp breakfast one last time. We cleaned up our cabin. We passed inspection one last time. In fact, we got a “Neatest Cabin” certificate.

  Soon our parents arrived. I was very happy to see Mommy and Seth and Andrew. I had missed them a lot. We hugged and kissed each other. Then I said, “Come with me. I will give you the grand tour.”

  I showed my little-house family Black Beauty Cabin. I showed them the mess hall and the arts-and-crafts shack. I had painted a picture for them. Andrew was impressed with our swimming pool. “We have a swimming pool and a lake,” I told him.

  Then I gave them a tour of the barns. I introduced them to Diablo, Dusty, and Mellow Yellow. My family was glad to see Blueberry.

  “He looks terrific,” said Mommy. “You have done a very good job with him.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  They loved seeing Ruby and Prize. Prize was already bigger and stronger. She ran around Ruby’s stall, kicking up her hooves.

  Then it was time for the gymkhana to start. It would have two parts: The first part was just for our camp. The second part was the contest against Camp Red Pines from across the lake.

  After Mommy, Seth, and Andrew got settled in the stands, I ran back to the barn. It was time to get Blueberry ready for the parade. It was time for my secret surprise.

  The Gymkhana

  First the expert riders showed off in the ring. They performed jumps and made their ponies do fancy steps. (This is called dressage. You say it like this: dress-AHJ.) Then the intermediates showed their jumps. Hannie made Dusty do a series of turns and walks and trots. She was very good.

  In the barn, I got Blueberry ready.

  “Now you wait here,” I told him. “I will be back to get you in ten minutes.”

  It was time for the beginners’ exhibition. I saddled Diablo and rode him into the ring along with the other beginners (except for Nancy). We told our ponies to go left, to go right, and to stop. Diablo did everything. At the end we lined up and waved to the crowd. I saw Mommy and Seth and Andrew waving at me and clapping. I was very proud of Diablo — and of myself. My riding had gotten much better.

  Then it was time for the all-camp parade. Instead of riding Diablo, I had decided to lead Blueberry. Nancy would lead Ruby, with Prize staying close to her side.

  “Ready, campers?” asked Mrs. Moggy.

  “Ready!” we shouted.

  It was a huge parade. All of the ponies had been decorated and brushed and fancied up. (I had helped with a lot of them.) Everyone oohed and aahed when Nancy led Ruby and Prize out.

  I led Blueberry by his bridle. Hannie looked at Blueberry. “Oh, my gosh,” she said. “How did you do that?”

  I smiled. “I will tell you later.” On Blueberry’s left hindquarter, there was a checkerboard pattern in his coat! It looked like light and dark squares.

  This was my secret surprise. Blueberry was the only pony at camp who had a beautiful design. This is how I did it: I took a big piece of cardboard and cut squares out of it. Then I brushed Blueberry’s hindquarter flat, flat, flat, until it shone. Then I put the cardboard pattern over his coat and brushed the hair in the other direction with a wet brush. The squares were made by some of his hair lying flat and some of it standing up. It looked excellent.

  I marched along in the parade, and Blueberry trotted with me. I could tell he was proud of how he looked.

  Then Mrs. Moggy spoke into a microphone. She awarded ribbons to campers for such things as best rider, best jumper, best swimmer, or most helpful.

  Then she awarded a ribbon to Hannie, for making the most progress with her riding. Nancy and I clapped hard and shouted, “Yea!”

  Nancy got a ribbon, too, for helping Ruby have her baby. Hannie and I clapped even harder.

  Then I got a ribbon for helping the campers get their ponies ready for the parade. I stepped up and took my ribbon proudly. Hannie and Nancy clapped for me and shouted, “Yea!”

  The Three Musketeers had all gotten ribbons. Yea for us!

  * * *

  After lunch came the contests against Camp Red Pines. Nancy and I were not in any of them, so we sat with our families in the stands. We cheered loudly whenever Hannie rode Dusty.

  I was waiting for one thing: the intermediate steeplechase. A steeplechase is a race with some jumps in it. Hannie had been practicing hard. Nancy and I crossed our fingers.

  “Please let Hannie win,” I whispered.

  “Please do not let Mary-Grace win,” Nancy whispered.

  It was very exciting. Hannie cantered Dusty along a path set out in a large field. She jumped every jump perfectly. I held my breath. Once I thought Mary-Grace was going to pass her, but she did not. Once I thought a rider from Camp Red Pines was going to get in the lead, but she did not.

  Then Hannie crossed the finish line. She had won! Nancy and I jumped up and down and screamed and hugged each other.

  Hannie got a first-place blue ribbon.

  Mary-Grace and Jody and Casey did not look too happy. But Gretchen and some other riders congratulated Hannie.

  In the end, Camp Happy Trails won the gymkhana by two points.

  There was a big party under the trees in the main field. We ate cake and watermelon and cookies and ice cream. Hannie and Nancy and I and our families sat together.

  “Blueberry looks wonderful, Karen,” said Mommy. “I know he will be very happy here.”

  I nodded. “Yes. He will be able to see people all the time now.” (Blueberry likes people more than he likes other ponies.)

  “I am so proud of your riding, Hannie,” said Mr. Papadakis. “You have come far in just a month.” Hannie beamed.

  “And Nancy was very brave when Ruby was having her baby,” I said.

  “Good for you, Nancy,” said Mrs. Dawes. “I am glad you won a special ribbon.”

  Hannie and Nancy and I sat together under the shade of the tree. Soon we would head back to Stoneybrook. But right now we were happy to be the Three Musketeers at pony camp.

  * * *

  “Is that everything, honey?” Mommy asked me. Seth had loaded my trunk and my duffel into his car.

  “Yup,” I said.

  The Daweses and the Papadakises were ready to leave, too. We had said good-bye to Mrs. Moggy and to Diane and Shannon. I had said a special good-bye to Blueberry. I promised to visit him soon. I had also hugged Diablo and told him good-bye. I felt very sad to be leaving Camp Happy Trails.

  “Well, see you guys next year,” said a voice.

  Hannie and Nancy and I looked around. It was Mary-Grace Welles and Casey Winters.

&
nbsp; I put my hands on my hips. “What?”

  Mary-Grace smiled. “I said, see you next year. You guys will be intermediates next year — all of you. And we will still be intermediates, too. We can hang out together.”

  Well, my mouth almost dropped to the ground.

  “What do you mean?” asked Nancy.

  “Because,” said Casey patiently. “We will all be intermediates. We will need to stick together against the beginners.”

  “Intermediates always tease the beginners,” Mary-Grace said cheerfully. “It is a camp tradition.”

  “You are kidding,” I said.

  “Nope. But you guys took it pretty well,” said Mary-Grace. “When I was a beginner, an intermediate made me cry. Well, see you next summer!” She gave a friendly wave, and they headed off.

  The Three Musketeers stared at each other. Then we started laughing. I did not know if we would be back next summer. I did not know if we would tease the beginners. But I did know that the Three Musketeers would always stick together, no matter what.

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1997 by Ann M. Martin

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