man. Mary and Jody watched him gesture and point at various spots around the farm, first at the
farmhouse, and then the barn, and finally at Lucky Foot Stable.
“What in the world do you think he wants?” Jody asked, throwing her empty corncob to the ground, where the Muscovys fought
over it until they realized there was no corn left.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s a salesman. Willie said a man stopped by last week and wanted to paint the barn, and another one
came that wanted to put a new roof on. Mr. McMurray’s always turning them away,” Mary answered indifferently. “Come on, let’s
go down to Lucky Foot and bring Star in and groom him. Maybe we should put his saddle and bridle on and walk him around the
farm. We’re going to have to start putting some of our weight on him soon to get him used to the feel of it.”
Jody didn’t reply but tears once again sprang to her eyes. Maybe Star wouldn’t be around long enough to start putting their
weight on him. What were they going to do ?
The girls swung down together from the thick branch of the tree, scattering ducks every which way, and linked arms on their
way to the stable. As they passed the house trailer, the man with the clipboard was walking toward the big white dairy barn
with Mr. Mooney, and Annie and Heath were nowhere to be seen.
“Wow, Mr. Mooney is spending a lot of time with that man. Mr. McMurray usually just sends them on their way,” Mary observed.
“Mare, maybe he wants to buy the farm!” Jody cried in a sudden panic. “Willie said Mr. McMurray was thinking about selling
it!”
“Well, if he wanted to buy the farm, he would have to talk to Mr. McMurray, not Mr. Mooney,” Mary replied matter-of-factly.
“Let’s not worry about that until we know what it’s all about. We have other things to worry about, you know.”
This was the first reference to the trouble with Star, and still Jody could not bring herself to talk about it. Oh, if only
not talking about it would make it go away!
Mary and Jody entered the cool stillness of Lucky Foot and were calmed by the sight of Finnegan sleeping peacefully in a spot
of sun just inside the stable doors and Colonel Sanders strutting around pecking at imaginary pieces of grain on the dirt
floor. They went silently to the Dutch doors leading to the paddock and leaned over. Star was napping on his feet at the far
end, the tip of his nose almost touching the ground.
“Star!” Jody called softly. “Wake up, little guy!”
Now it was Mary’s turn to get a lump in her throat as Star raised his head and nickered softly at the sight of the two girls.
“Hey, buddy, come on over,” Jody called again. Star stretched himself fore and aft like a dog, shook his head and yawned,
then strolled over to where Mary and Jody waited with hands outstretched. He sniffed both of their hands in turn, looking
for treats and then snorting wetly in their faces. Mary and Jody giggled through their tears and opened the bottom of the
Dutch door to lead him in for grooming. When Mary turned to open his stall door, Annie was standing in the middle of the stable
aisle.
“Hi,” she said.
“Geez, Annie, you scared me to death!” Mary yelped. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s not a very nice greeting,” Annie commented, peering over the top of her horn-rimmed glasses. “Can’t I come visit
once in a while?”
“Sure you can, Annie,” Jody answered, leading Star into his stall. “We just didn’t see you there, that’s all. You surprised
us.”
Annie didn’t reply, but she leaned over the top board of Star’s stall and held her hand out to him. Star instantly began licking
her palm. Mary and Jody looked at each other, a little peeved at the effect Annie seemed to have on all members of the animal
kingdom.
“So, how’s he doing, anyway?” she asked, continuing to give Star a taste of her palm.
“He’s doing fine,” Mary said shortly.
“But
farmhouse, and then the barn, and finally at Lucky Foot Stable.
“What in the world do you think he wants?” Jody asked, throwing her empty corncob to the ground, where the Muscovys fought
over it until they realized there was no corn left.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s a salesman. Willie said a man stopped by last week and wanted to paint the barn, and another one
came that wanted to put a new roof on. Mr. McMurray’s always turning them away,” Mary answered indifferently. “Come on, let’s
go down to Lucky Foot and bring Star in and groom him. Maybe we should put his saddle and bridle on and walk him around the
farm. We’re going to have to start putting some of our weight on him soon to get him used to the feel of it.”
Jody didn’t reply but tears once again sprang to her eyes. Maybe Star wouldn’t be around long enough to start putting their
weight on him. What were they going to do ?
The girls swung down together from the thick branch of the tree, scattering ducks every which way, and linked arms on their
way to the stable. As they passed the house trailer, the man with the clipboard was walking toward the big white dairy barn
with Mr. Mooney, and Annie and Heath were nowhere to be seen.
“Wow, Mr. Mooney is spending a lot of time with that man. Mr. McMurray usually just sends them on their way,” Mary observed.
“Mare, maybe he wants to buy the farm!” Jody cried in a sudden panic. “Willie said Mr. McMurray was thinking about selling
it!”
“Well, if he wanted to buy the farm, he would have to talk to Mr. McMurray, not Mr. Mooney,” Mary replied matter-of-factly.
“Let’s not worry about that until we know what it’s all about. We have other things to worry about, you know.”
This was the first reference to the trouble with Star, and still Jody could not bring herself to talk about it. Oh, if only
not talking about it would make it go away!
Mary and Jody entered the cool stillness of Lucky Foot and were calmed by the sight of Finnegan sleeping peacefully in a spot
of sun just inside the stable doors and Colonel Sanders strutting around pecking at imaginary pieces of grain on the dirt
floor. They went silently to the Dutch doors leading to the paddock and leaned over. Star was napping on his feet at the far
end, the tip of his nose almost touching the ground.
“Star!” Jody called softly. “Wake up, little guy!”
Now it was Mary’s turn to get a lump in her throat as Star raised his head and nickered softly at the sight of the two girls.
“Hey, buddy, come on over,” Jody called again. Star stretched himself fore and aft like a dog, shook his head and yawned,
then strolled over to where Mary and Jody waited with hands outstretched. He sniffed both of their hands in turn, looking
for treats and then snorting wetly in their faces. Mary and Jody giggled through their tears and opened the bottom of the
Dutch door to lead him in for grooming. When Mary turned to open his stall door, Annie was standing in the middle of the stable
aisle.
“Hi,” she said.
“Geez, Annie, you scared me to death!” Mary yelped. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s not a very nice greeting,” Annie commented, peering over the top of her horn-rimmed glasses. “Can’t I come visit
once in a while?”
“Sure you can, Annie,” Jody answered, leading Star into his stall. “We just didn’t see you there, that’s all. You surprised
us.”
Annie didn’t reply, but she leaned over the top board of Star’s stall and held her hand out to him. Star instantly began licking
her palm. Mary and Jody looked at each other, a little peeved at the effect Annie seemed to have on all members of the animal
kingdom.
“So, how’s he doing, anyway?” she asked, continuing to give Star a taste of her palm.
“He’s doing fine,” Mary said shortly.
“But
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