riding-horse, the sort medieval ladies had ridden on, draperies trailing. She liked her name actually meaning ‘horse’. It was a great privilege.)
Mrs Palfrey did Ros her favourite fish fingers and chips, and Ros changed into jeans and anorak and set off back to see Badger, the carrots stuffed in her anorak pockets. It was a fine evening with a strong smell of spring and the blackbirds singing in the hedges. Ros felt very cheerful, having discovered a pony that was almost her own, so close and friendly. But when she came over the railway bridge she saw that the pony was no longer alone, and she stopped, deeply disappointed.
There was a family with him: a dad, a mum and four children. They were all rather noisy and excited. The mum was trying to calm them down and the dad was putting a saddle on Badger. Badger was circling restlessly and a girl of about eleven was hanging on to his head, shouting at the others to keep out of the way. As a family, they seemed to use a lot of swear words, although they were laughing a lot too.
Ros went nearer. It was public ground, after all. She stood on the path, her hand closed round the carrots in her pocket.
The girl was the eldest. She was very active and tough, and had a mass of thick wiry hair that looked like a pot-scrubber on her head. She squashed a riding hat over it and hooked up the harness. Her father bunked her up into the saddle.
‘Hold on now, Fi!’
Badger was barging about in great excitement, pawing the ground and snatching at his bit. He looked nothing like a child’s ‘first pony’. But Fi’s dad was laughing, and let go without seeming to have any doubts, although mum looked a bit worried. Badger plunged away and came straight towards where Ros was standing, at a very fast trot. He lifted his knees high and held his head up and snorted as he went, looking very flashy and strong.
Fi was hauling on the reins to steady him, but did not seem frightened. She saw Ros standing there and shouted, ‘Watch out!’ in a very imperious, bossy voice, but Ros did not move. She had as much right there as Fi, and Badger liked her, she knew. She wasn’t frightened. Fi shouted something rude to her and steered Badger past. His eyes were shining with half-excitement, half-fear, Ros thought. He looked barely under control. But Fi was strong too, and not afraid.
‘Ride ’im, Fi!’ her father shouted. ‘You show the little devil!’
The girl and the pony seemed well-matched. They were both fit and strong and bossy, and Fi circled and cantered and even galloped, and her family stood watching and applauding and shouting rude remarks. It was all very jolly. When Fi had got Badger tired, all the other children had a go, even the little one, with Dad running beside and crying out, ‘Of course you can trot – there’s nothing to it! Up down! Up down! Hold on, you little so-and-so!’
Ros stood there until it was nearly dark.
When they had finished, they put Badger back on his tether again and brought him a bucket of water from the car. Then, trailing the saddle and bridle, they all piled into a large car on the edge of the car park and drove away.
CHAPTER TWO
WHEN THEY HAD gone, Ros went across to Badger. This time he looked at her rather nervously, not in his friendly, eager way of the first time. Ros rather got the message – ‘Oh, not again!’
‘It’s me, Badger. I’ve brought you some carrots.’
Although his owners had moved his tether peg, the grass was still rather trampled. The whole field looked rather trampled. And Badger had already drunk nearly all of the bucket of water they had left him. The pony’s coat was curly with sweat, and hot and damp under Ros’s hand. But the air had gone cool and sharp with the onset of dusk.
‘I can’t stay, Mum’ll be furious,’ Ros told him. She wanted to. She didn’t think Badger was happy. He was all stirred up with the fast riding, and moved about restlessly, pulled up sharp all the time by the tether. Ros
Mrs Palfrey did Ros her favourite fish fingers and chips, and Ros changed into jeans and anorak and set off back to see Badger, the carrots stuffed in her anorak pockets. It was a fine evening with a strong smell of spring and the blackbirds singing in the hedges. Ros felt very cheerful, having discovered a pony that was almost her own, so close and friendly. But when she came over the railway bridge she saw that the pony was no longer alone, and she stopped, deeply disappointed.
There was a family with him: a dad, a mum and four children. They were all rather noisy and excited. The mum was trying to calm them down and the dad was putting a saddle on Badger. Badger was circling restlessly and a girl of about eleven was hanging on to his head, shouting at the others to keep out of the way. As a family, they seemed to use a lot of swear words, although they were laughing a lot too.
Ros went nearer. It was public ground, after all. She stood on the path, her hand closed round the carrots in her pocket.
The girl was the eldest. She was very active and tough, and had a mass of thick wiry hair that looked like a pot-scrubber on her head. She squashed a riding hat over it and hooked up the harness. Her father bunked her up into the saddle.
‘Hold on now, Fi!’
Badger was barging about in great excitement, pawing the ground and snatching at his bit. He looked nothing like a child’s ‘first pony’. But Fi’s dad was laughing, and let go without seeming to have any doubts, although mum looked a bit worried. Badger plunged away and came straight towards where Ros was standing, at a very fast trot. He lifted his knees high and held his head up and snorted as he went, looking very flashy and strong.
Fi was hauling on the reins to steady him, but did not seem frightened. She saw Ros standing there and shouted, ‘Watch out!’ in a very imperious, bossy voice, but Ros did not move. She had as much right there as Fi, and Badger liked her, she knew. She wasn’t frightened. Fi shouted something rude to her and steered Badger past. His eyes were shining with half-excitement, half-fear, Ros thought. He looked barely under control. But Fi was strong too, and not afraid.
‘Ride ’im, Fi!’ her father shouted. ‘You show the little devil!’
The girl and the pony seemed well-matched. They were both fit and strong and bossy, and Fi circled and cantered and even galloped, and her family stood watching and applauding and shouting rude remarks. It was all very jolly. When Fi had got Badger tired, all the other children had a go, even the little one, with Dad running beside and crying out, ‘Of course you can trot – there’s nothing to it! Up down! Up down! Hold on, you little so-and-so!’
Ros stood there until it was nearly dark.
When they had finished, they put Badger back on his tether again and brought him a bucket of water from the car. Then, trailing the saddle and bridle, they all piled into a large car on the edge of the car park and drove away.
CHAPTER TWO
WHEN THEY HAD gone, Ros went across to Badger. This time he looked at her rather nervously, not in his friendly, eager way of the first time. Ros rather got the message – ‘Oh, not again!’
‘It’s me, Badger. I’ve brought you some carrots.’
Although his owners had moved his tether peg, the grass was still rather trampled. The whole field looked rather trampled. And Badger had already drunk nearly all of the bucket of water they had left him. The pony’s coat was curly with sweat, and hot and damp under Ros’s hand. But the air had gone cool and sharp with the onset of dusk.
‘I can’t stay, Mum’ll be furious,’ Ros told him. She wanted to. She didn’t think Badger was happy. He was all stirred up with the fast riding, and moved about restlessly, pulled up sharp all the time by the tether. Ros
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