Promise Kept (cont'd)
By Grace

Chapter Five:

It was the day of the rodeo.  I stood in front of the mirror, as Mom put red ribbons in my hair.  I was really nervous.  I hadn't practiced at all,  because Snowflake never tries to throw me off.  I looked in the mirror.  I was wearing light-colored olive jeans and a red sweater.  I thought that I looked like a Christmas caroler.  Anyway, one way or another, I planned on bringing Promise Kept home...

Once Mom finished, I ran to Snowflake and said, "Bye!  I promise I'll bring back a friend."

When we got to the arena, Mom just left and let me alone.  She knows that I know the way home.  I ran to the door of the stable and pushed it open.  "Hello?" I said.  "Anybody here?  I... um... Promise Kept?"  I saw a horse, but it wasn't Promise Kept.  I got closer and saw a beautiful Paint gelding.  The Paint wasn't the right horse and it was in a sort of cage.  There was another horse somewhere...

Chapter Six:

I stared at the shape coming towards me.  I was ready to see a horse, but instead of a horse, the men I made a bet with came out. 

"Hello, Miss!" they said, as if they were excited to see me.  "We were waiting for you." 

"You--you were?" I stammered, trying to get over my fright. 

"Our boss is very upset," they whispered.  "She might fire us, anyway." 

"Oh," was all that I could say.  "Do I... um... saddle up?" I asked.  They didn't answer.  All they did was lead me to Promise Kept's stall.  I went inside and shut the door. 

"Hi, Promise.  How is it here?"  Promise squealed, giving me my answer.  "Do you like what I am calling you?"  Promise nickered.  "Do you know that I'm going to try to buy you, boy?"  Promise blew in my face.  I left the stall to get a saddle, so that Promise wouldn't see the tears in my eyes.  What if I lost the bet?  What if I never saw Promise Kept again?  Then as if they were eavesdropping, the men came in. 

"Get on the horse," they said. 

"Okay," I said.  I grabbed a saddle and put it on Promise Kept.  Promise didn't like the saddle at all.  I tried to keep him steady, but he just turned white eyes on me, making me start to cry.  

"Just put the saddle on him," one of the men said impatiently.  I put the saddle on quickly and mounted.  Then I lead Promise to the gate.  He seemed calm, until the gate swung open.

Promise suddenly twisted in the air, jumping and bolting, while I struggled to hold on as long as it took.  Finally, we were done and one of the men dragged Promise into the barn. 

"You win," they said.  "The crowd is leaving." 

"Thanks," I murmured.  I turned to the men and threw them enough money to buy the horse.  They grabbed it greedily and waved goodbye, as I left for home.

Chapter Seven:

Promise galloped smoothly to the house.  As I dismounted, Becky ran underneath me.  I scooped her up and led Promise to the barn.  At Snowflake's stall, Promise was really nervous.  I knew that the arena treated horses fairly good, except that before the rodeo, I had seen them make the horses angry.

I didn't want to let Promise loose in the backyard, because I wanted him to get used to his new stall.  But, I didn't know how to get him in there.  Becky purred in my arms.  I set her down.  Then, I jumped back on Promise Kept and rode him into the barn.  I put him in the part of the barn next to Snowflake.  They began nosing each other.  I went and got the dogs, hoping that they'd all be friends, but of course Lillian growled.   Charity immediately licked Promise's leg.   Buster cowered, then licked Promise's leg, too.  I grabbed Lillian's collar and dragged her out the door.  Then, I snapped on her collar and dragged her again to the backyard and let her loose.  I ran to the shed and was petting Promise when Mom came in. 

"What a beautiful horse!" she exclaimed.  "Melissa called and asked me if you could come over.  I said 'Yes'.  So you'd better go.  Maybe you could tell her about your new horse." 

"Alright," I said, as I got a saddle for Snowflake.  I like being at Melissa's house, because she has a brown horse named Kiwi.  Melissa named him that, because his entire body is the color of the outside of a kiwi.  I call him that, because he is the color of a kiwi on the outside and on the inside he's a sweet-tempered stallion.  I jumped on Snowflake and began to ride to Melissa's house.

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