Chapter Two
Several mornings later Maggie heard her parents talking in the kitchen. Dad said, "Well, you know she wants a pony."
"Yes," said Mom. "But I didn't think you'd spend so much money without discussing it."
"You buy what you want," he shot back. "And this was what I want."
They stopped talking when Maggie entered the room.
"Time for breakfast," said Mom. "Maggie, please wash up and set the table."
They started breakfast. Then Dad said, "Maggie, I bought something special yesterday. I think you're going to like it."
"A pony?" she asked eagerly.
"I'm not telling," he said, grinning. "But it's coming today ... in a truck."
"Fred," Mom scolded. "Don't get her all excited. She might be disappointed."
"But I'm excited," he said with a broad grin. "I just had to say something."
After breakfast Maggie sat on the front step watching the driveway. I wonder what color my pony will be, she thought. I wonder what its eyes will be like. I wonder if Dad bought me a saddle.
Hours later, a blue truck turned into their driveway. It was big enough to haul about six or seven cows. The truck stopped in the front of the house, and a man with a beard got out. Corky barked at him.
"Corky, stop," Maggie demanded, and she ran toward the truck. "Is my pony in there?"
The man laughed and said, "Something like that. Is your father home?"
"Yes, he's in the barn," said Maggie. "I'll get him for you."
But Dad stuck his head out the barn door and waved. Meanwhile Maggie circled the truck trying to see inside. But the openings between the boards were too high up.
"Hi, Chuck," said Dad, offering his hand. "Let's unload right here."
"Fine," said Chuck. He reached up below the truck's back door and pulled out a ramp. He and Dad brought gates from the sides of the truck and fitted them into slots on the sides of the ramp. Chuck walked up the ramp into the back of the truck.
Maggie saw a flash of gold and heard a nicker. It sounded like a pony.
But it wasn't a pony. Chuck appeared at the top of the ramp with ... the BIGGEST horse Maggie had ever seen. It was gold with a white mane and tail and white blaze down its nose.
The ramp shook as the huge animal tromped down it. The horse towered over even Dad's head. Maggie could have almost walked under the animal's belly.
Dad took the horse's halter, and Chuck went back into the truck. He reappeared leading another horse as big as the first.
Maggie wailed, "Hey, I only asked for one pony." She felt like crying.
Mom got there just then and put her arm around Maggie. "Well, your father always liked driving his grandfather's team, so he bought his own."
Dad walked by, leading the horses and Chuck to the barn. "Neat, eh?" he said, eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, neat," said Mom, and she and Maggie followed.
The men tied the horses in wooden stalls in a very old part of the barn. The horses sniffed their feed boxes and the walls. Then they found hay in the feed boxes and started to eat.
"They look happy now," said Chuck. "I'm sure they'll work just fine for you."
Dad nodded. "I know they will. I just hope I can tell them apart."
Chuck laughed. "Molly is lighter colored than Polly. That's Molly." He pointed to the smaller of the two horses.
"I'll remember that," said Dad.
"Did you talk to Larry Croon?" asked Chuck.
"Yes," said Dad. "I bought some equipment from him, and it should be here later today."
"Good," said Chuck. "You'll love working with horses. They're a lot more fun than tractors."
"Come on," said Dad. "I'll write you a check."
When the men left, Mom looked down at Maggie. "So, what do you think of our new horses?"
Maggie sniffed. "They're too big."
Mom sighed and nodded. "I know. Sometimes you're father gets so carried away with things I just can't talk to him."
Mom left too, and Maggie studied the horses in silence. Dad came back. He said, "Well, do you like your surprise?"
"They aren't my surprise," she replied. "I wanted a horse I could ride."
Dad's grin faded. "You can ride them," he said. "In the olden days all the kids rode draft horses like these."
"No way," Maggie said under her breath.
* * * * *
Later Dad brushed the horses. Maggie watched, but she didn't offer to help. They weren't her horses.
When Dad went to milk the cows, Maggie walked around to the front of the new animals. At least they're more interesting than cows, she told herself.
Molly had dropped a piece of hay over the side, so Maggie handed it to the horse. The huge nose sniffed. The long lips popped, taking in the wisps of hay.
Maggie went to the oats bin and got some for both horses. She gave them each a handful and patted their noses. They wanted more, but she said, "That's enough. Dad already fed you."
The horses seemed very disappointed, and Maggie decided to pat their necks. She started to crawl into Polly's feed box. But Polly rolled her eyes and threw herself back against the end of her rope. Maggie quickly got down.
Instead, she got into Molly's feed box. Molly gave Maggie a friendly sniff and waited. Maggie scratched Molly's ears, and the big horse closed her eyes with pleasure.
"Well," Maggie said at last. "I'd still rather have a pony, but you're pretty nice. I guess you can't help being so big."