Karen's Pony

Blueberry gobbled up three carrots and nudged me for more. When the other horses saw me feeding Blueberry, they trotted over to us. As soon as they did, Blueberry walked away.

  “Can we go exploring?” asked Hannie. “This farm looks like a neat place.”

  “That is a good idea. We should know everything about Blueberry’s new home,” I said. I waved to Blueberry. “We will be back soon,” I told him.

  We walked from one end of the farm to the other. First we peeked into the big red barn. We saw buckets of oats and bales of hay there.

  In another building were cows. A farmhand named Gus introduced himself. He was milking the cows. Only he wasn’t using his hands. He was using machines. He gave us each a small cup of milk to taste. I had never tried milk straight out of a cow before. It was warm and sweet.

  We thanked Gus and kept walking. We passed a fenced-in area with goats, and another area with chickens. There was even a pond with ducks.

  “Quack! Quack!” I called. The ducks quacked back.

  We swung around and reached the farmhouse just in time to have lunch with Daddy and the Coopers. Then we went back to Blueberry to keep him company.

  The minute Blueberry saw us coming, he lifted his head and whinnied just like before. When it was time for us to go, he looked sad. I hated to leave him there.

  “Do not worry. I will come see you again soon,” I said.

  Emergency!

  The next afternoon started out to be a lot of fun. After school Kristy was in charge of Emily, Andrew, David Michael, and me. She was supposed to watch us until five-fifteen. That was when Nannie would come home from her bowling team meeting and Charlie would come home from baseball practice.

  In case you did not know it, Kristy is an excellent baby-sitter. She is even the president of a baby-sitters club she runs with her friends. They take care of kids in the neighborhood. Everyone loves them.

  “Who wants popcorn and lemonade for a snack?” asked Kristy.

  “Me!” we all replied.

  The popcorn was easy to make because it was the microwave kind. But we decided to make the lemonade from scratch.

  It was Kristy’s job to cut the lemons. The rest of us took turns squeezing the lemons into a big pitcher. (We have a juicer at the big house. But it was broken.) When the lemons had been squeezed, Kristy added the water and sugar. She stirred it up and poured some into a cup.

  “Sugar taster!” she called. That was my job.

  I took a sip of the lemonade. Ewee! It was sour. I could feel my mouth puckering up.

  “More sugar! More sugar!” I cried.

  Kristy kept adding sugar. I kept tasting till the lemonade was just right.

  “Hey, everyone,” I said. “I have a riddle for you. What do you get when you cross a cat with a lemon?”

  No one knew the answer, so I told them. “A sour puss!”

  “Meow!” said Emily.

  “Ha, ha,” said David Michael.

  Andrew was the only one besides me who thought that it was a very funny riddle.

  After our snack we played Go Fish. A little before five o’clock Kristy started looking at her watch.

  “I hope Charlie comes home when he promised,” she said. “He is supposed to drive me to my Baby-sitters Club meeting. It starts at five-thirty and I do not want to be late.”

  At five minutes after five, Nannie walked in. It was a good thing, too. Right away, the phone rang. We could tell from the sound of her voice that it was emergency news.

  “That was the coach from the high school,” said Nannie when she hung up. “Charlie broke his hand during baseball practice. He was taken to the hospital emergency room. I am going over there right now. Kristy, you will have to stay in charge here. I am afraid that means you will miss your meeting.”

  “That is okay,” Kristy replied. “I am just sorry Charlie is hurt.”

  We were all sorry Charlie was hurt. We hoped he would be okay.

  Nurse Karen

  Daddy called us from the hospital. He and Elizabeth got there right after Nannie did. Sam was there, too.

  “The doctor is putting on the cast now,” said Daddy. “We should be home in a couple of hours.”

  I wondered if Dr. Humphrey was taking care of Charlie. He took very good care of me when I broke my wrist. I broke it when I fell down roller skating. So I know everything about broken bones.

  We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. Then we watched TV and waited for Charlie and the rest of our family to come home. I was the first one to hear the cars pull into the driveway.

  “They are here! They are here!” I shouted.

  Charlie walked in with his hand in a cast and his arm in a sling.

  “Ooh, Charlie, are you okay?”

  “Does it hurt a lot?”

  “How did it happen?”

  We were all asking questions at once. Charlie told us the whole story.

  “I was running for a fly ball when I tripped and fell,” said Charlie. “My hand must have been twisted when I landed on it. It hurt a lot then. But it does not hurt much anymore.”

  “Did Dr. Humphrey put on your cast? He put my cast on when I broke my wrist,” I said. I wanted to remind everyone that I had broken something, too.

  “Yes, Dr. Humphrey put on my cast. He said to say hello to you,” replied Charlie.

  Nannie made Charlie something to eat. Then Charlie settled down to watch TV. I decided he needed a nurse to take care of him. Guess who I thought would make the best nurse. Me!

  “I will get you more pillows,” I said. “I think your hand will feel better if you sit up tall.”

  I fluffed up two pillows behind Charlie’s back.

  “How is that?” I asked.

  “Excellent,” said Charlie. “Thank you.”

  “You need to have your temperature taken now,” I said.

  “Charlie’s hand is broken,” said Sam. “That does not mean he is sick.”

  “That is right,” said Charlie. “I do not need to have my temperature taken.”

  “Your cheeks look very red to me,” I said. “I am the nurse and I am going to take your temperature.”

  I could not find the thermometer. So I used a straw instead. I made Charlie put the straw under his tongue and hold it there for one whole minute.

  “Um, Charlie, what happened to our ring?” asked Kristy. “I do not see it on your finger. Did you leave it at the hospital?”

  Charlie took the ring out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Kristy. (He could not talk because the straw was in his mouth.) Kristy put the ring on her finger.

  “Time is up!” I said. I took the straw out of Charlie’s mouth and studied it. “Tsk, tsk. Your temperature is nine and a half. It is time for you to go to bed.”

  “But I want to watch TV,” said Charlie.

  “You need to rest so your bones will grow back together strong,” I said. “Trust me. I am your nurse.”

  I dragged Charlie off the couch and led him up to his room.

  “If you need anything, just call,” I said. I closed the door to his room.

  “I need a new nurse!” called Charlie.

  “I am sorry,” I said. “I have been assigned to your case. I will not quit until you are better.”

  “Oh, all right,” said Charlie. “I guess I am a little tired. Good night, Karen.”

  “Good night, Charlie,” I said.

  See what a good nurse I am?

  Lonely

  I did not get to see Blueberry on Tuesday. But on Wednesday after school, Nannie drove Andrew, David Michael, Emily, and me to the farm for a visit.

  The Pink Clinker pulled into the Coopers’ driveway. (The Pink Clinker is the name of Nannie’s car.) I could see Blueberry out in the pasture. He looked kind of droopy. He was standing near the fence away from the other horses. I guess he had not made friends with them yet.

  When Nannie stopped the car, I jumped out and ran to my pony. Andrew, David Michael, and Emily were right behind me.

  B
lueberry perked up as soon as he saw us. He threw back his head and whinnied.

  “Hi, Blueberry!” I said.

  He nudged me with his nose.

  “Yes, we brought you some carrots,” I told him.

  Andrew, David Michael, and I took turns feeding the carrots to Blueberry. (Nannie had taken Emily into the house to visit with the Coopers.)

  “What have you been up to since Sunday?” I asked.

  Blueberry made a couple of loud horse noises.

  “Not too much, huh? Why don’t you try making friends with the other horses?” I said. “They look very nice.”

  Blueberry did not look interested in the other horses. I could tell he wanted to visit with us.

  “Come on, Blueberry. Let’s go!” I called.

  I ran alongside the fence. Blueberry followed me. David Michael and Andrew joined the line. We ran halfway around the pasture. Then we ran back again. Blueberry kept up with us the whole way. I was glad my pony was getting some exercise. He looked as if he were having fun.

  I wondered who played with Blueberry when I was not there. I decided to ask someone. I went to the barn to find Gus.

  “Hi, Gus,” I said. “Could you please tell me who plays with Blueberry when I am not around?”

  “I am afraid no one does,” replied Gus. “We are all too busy with our chores. We feed Blueberry, muck out his stall, and let him loose in the pasture. That is about all we have time for.”

  “Oh, okay. Thanks,” I said.

  Poor Blueberry. It was no wonder he had looked droopy before. He was a horse who needed human company. And he was not getting any. Blueberry was just plain lonely.

  Kristy Is Sick

  When we returned home, Sam said, “I think you better come upstairs, Nannie. Kristy is sick.”

  I followed Nannie and Sam up to Kristy’s room. Kristy was lying on her bed. She looked pale. And she was shivering.

  “Nannie,” said Kristy, “I do not feel very well. And there is a meeting of the Baby-sitters Club in an hour. I really want to go because I missed the last one.”

  “This is no time to be thinking about meetings,” said Nannie. “We have to think about getting you well. Tell me what hurts you.”

  “I have a terrible sore throat. And I ache all over,” Kristy replied.

  “I will take your temperature,” said Nannie. “Then we will decide what to do next.”

  I hoped Nannie could find the real thermometer. I did not think the straw would work too well for Kristy.

  Nannie told me to wait outside Kristy’s room. She did not want me to catch whatever Kristy had. She found the thermometer and put it under Kristy’s tongue. When she took it out and looked at it, Nannie whistled.

  “Your temperature is a hundred and two,” said Nannie. “I will call the doctor and let her know we are coming. Sam, please stay here and watch the kids till your mother and Watson come home.”

  That meant peanut butter and jelly for dinner again.

  A couple of hours later Nannie and Kristy came home.

  “What did the doctor say? Are you really, really sick?” I asked.

  “The doctor did a strep test on Kristy. Kristy has a raging case of strep throat,” said Nannie. “She has to start taking antibiotics. And she has to stay in bed for at least a few days.”

  Kristy looked gloomy. “This is the second meeting in a row I have missed,” she said.

  “I am sure your friends understand,” said Elizabeth. “If you are feeling better later, you can talk to them on the phone.”

  “I do not think Kristy should talk on the phone tonight,” I said. “She needs her rest.”

  Nurse Karen was back on duty.

  “Kristy, if you are going to be stuck in bed anyway, can I have my turn wearing the ring?” asked David Michael.

  “It is okay with me,” said Kristy. She took off the ring and handed it to David Michael.

  The ring had an opening at the back, and could be made bigger or smaller by squeezing it or pulling it apart. David Michael squeezed it a little to make it smaller, so it would not fall off his finger.

  Nannie brought Kristy a tray with soup, juice, and toast. When Kristy finished eating, Nurse Karen took over.

  “I want you to wear this mask and these gloves so you do not get sick, too,” said Daddy.

  He gave me a small white mask to cover my mouth and nose, and a pair of plastic gloves. (I had seen him wearing these things in his workshop.) When I put them on, I felt like an important surgeon ready to operate.

  “Is it time for Kristy to take her medicine?” I asked.

  “Yes, it is,” said Elizabeth. “Thank you for reminding us.”

  Elizabeth brought in two pills and a cup of water.

  “Just throw your head back and swallow,” I said.

  “Thank you, Karen. But I know how to swallow pills,” Kristy replied.

  Kristy sounded a little bit cranky. But that was okay. Nurses understand those things. I put a big smile on my face and got Kristy another blanket.

  Maggie

  On Saturday, Daddy dropped me off at the Coopers’ farm. I was going to stay there by myself for a couple of hours.

  “You do not have to worry about Karen,” Mr. Cooper said to Daddy. “We will be here if she needs us.”

  “Maggie has offered to show Karen around the stable. Maggie is the young woman who helps out with the horses on weekends,” said Mrs. Cooper.

  I waved good-bye to Daddy, then followed Mrs. Cooper to the stable.

  Maggie was raking out Blueberry’s stall. (Blueberry was out in the pasture. I had already said hello to him.)

  “Hi, Karen,” said Maggie. “Are you going to help me take care of the horses today?”

  I liked Maggie right away. She was like a grown-up Kristy.

  “Yes,” I replied. “Blueberry is my very own pony, you know.”

  “He is awfully sweet,” said Maggie. “I just finished cleaning out his stall. But he still needs to be fed and groomed.”

  Lucky me. I had come just in time for the best parts.

  “What will we feed Blueberry?” I asked. “I know he likes carrots.”

  “Yes, carrots are a treat for him. So are sliced apples and sugar cubes. But he would have to eat a lot of those things to get full. Ponies need to eat grass and hay.”

  I helped Maggie put some hay on a wooden frame called a rack. Then we called Blueberry in from the pasture.

  “It is lunchtime, Blueberry!” I said.

  I held the rope and led him into his stall.

  “Remember that you must never get too close to the back of a horse. Horses are very big and strong. If a horse kicks for any reason and you are behind him, you could be hurt badly,” said Maggie.

  I stood off to the side and watched Blueberry eat his hay. He finished every bit. Then he drank from a bucket of fresh water.

  “I guess Blueberry was hungry,” I said.

  “Horses are big animals. They need a lot of food,” said Maggie. “But they cannot eat too much at one time because their stomachs are small for their bodies. That is why we feed them at least three times a day.”

  “Is it time to groom him now?” I asked. “Can we braid his hair and put ribbons in it?”

  “I am sure he would look very nice with ribbons and braids,” replied Maggie. “But we do not have time to do anything fancy today. We will just make sure his coat is neat and healthy.”

  Maggie carried over a box that was filled to the top with all kinds of brushes and things.

  “Even my dolls do not have so many brushes and combs,” I said.

  “Each brush, comb, and pick has a special job,” said Maggie. “Here is what we will do. First we will use the currycomb. That will clean up his coat.”

  She held up an oval brush that was made of rubber.

  “Next we will use a softer brush to make his coat nice and smooth. Then we will comb his mane and tail. The last thing we will do is wipe him down with a cloth,” said Maggie. “You will see h
ow great Blueberry can look.”

  I started with the currycomb. I could see the dead hairs flying off Blueberry. Then Maggie showed me how to use long strokes with the soft brush. Blueberry’s coat started to glow.

  “This is my favorite part of taking care of Blueberry,” I said to Maggie. “I can tell he really likes it.”

  We combed Blueberry’s mane and tail. Then we each took a soft cloth and wiped him down.

  I stepped back to admire our work. No one could call my pony mangy now. Blueberry looked beautiful!

  Roddie

  “Could we go to the farm again, Daddy? Could we, please?” I asked. It was Sunday. I wanted to spend more time with Blueberry.

  “Have you finished all your homework?” asked Daddy.

  “Yes, I have,” I replied.

  “Come on, then. I will drop you off and you can visit for a couple of hours,” said Daddy.

  As soon as I got to the pasture, Blueberry raised his head and whinnied just like always. Maggie was busy grooming one of the other horses. We waved hello to each other.

  I decided it was time to have a talk with Blueberry. He was spending too much time by himself.

  “Blueberry,” I said, “tomorrow is Monday. I do not think I will be able to visit you. I want you to try hard to make friends with the other horses. You will be much happier if you play with them.”

  Blueberry made some horse noises and turned his head away. I do not think he liked my idea.

  “Come on, Blueberry. It makes me sad when you are all alone and droopy,” I said.

  Just then Blueberry raised his head and whinnied again. A boy was walking toward us. He looked about my age.

  “Hi. My name is Roddie Gale,” said the boy. “Who are you?”

  “I am Karen,” I replied.

  “My parents just bought the farm down the road,” said Roddie. “I guess that makes us neighbors.”

  “I do not live here. I live in Stoneybrook,” I said. “This is my pony, Blueberry. He lives here and I come to visit him whenever I can.”

  “He looks like a nice pony,” said Roddie. “Is it okay if I pet him?”

  “Sure,” I replied. “He does not like other horses so much. But he really likes people.”