Poppy and Prince Read Free Page B

came straight up to the gate to meet me! He is just so lovely! But then we had our ponies tied up in the yard where Sally and Lydia could see us, and we were all chatting away as we got on with grooming, and that’s when everything went wrong. I suddenly noticed that people were whispering something secret to each other. I thought someone would tell me too, but no one did.

    I looked over at Jennifer and smiled. She smiled back but she didn’t come over and say anything in my ear, like she’d just done with Sophie and Lucinda. Then I started chatting toSophie, who was scrubbing out feed buckets by the yard tap. I said, “I really hope we can try a canter today. It’ll be great, won’t it?”
    I was so shocked when she gave me an angry look and said, “How could you pretend to be a beginner like me when you’re not? You’ve cantered loads of times!”
    I just stared at her as she stormed off across the yard. Then I realized – the whispering was about ME. Jennifer had told my secret!
    My stomach started churning and I felt all empty and strange – how could she?!

    I went marching up to her and said, “You promised you wouldn’t tell!” I knew that everyone else was watching and straining their ears to listen, but I didn’t care. I was too angry to be embarrassed.
    “I was only trying to help,” she said, matter-of-factly . “Now everyone knows, we can all support you.”
    “Well, thanks,” I hissed, “but that’s not really the point, is it? You PROMISED not to tell.”

    Jennifer just looked impatient and started grooming Flame’s shoulder. I was so angry I had to stop myself from snatching the brush out of her hand.
    “I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss,” she said casually. “And by the way, you really should challenge yourself and have a canter today. You simply must get back up to speed or you’ll lose all the skills you worked so hard for. Sally’s being far too soft on you.”

    I just couldn’t believe it! My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears. I wanted to run to Millie, but she was inside catching up on her holiday homework. Instead, I hurried back to Prince, untied him and walked him right round to the other side of the yard. Then I put him next to Charm and Fisher, April and Amanda’s ponies, and got on with my grooming.
    “Are you okay?” asked April. I swallowed hard and nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak, in case I started crying.

    “Don’t worry about Jennifer,” said Amanda. “She was only trying to help.”
    My eyes filled up with tears then so I quickly turned away from them, pretending I’d spotted some stubborn mud stuck to Prince’s foreleg.
    “She is NOT just trying to help,” I told Prince, as I struggled with the knots in his shaggy mane. “She’s trying to ruin my holiday!”
    Prince gave me a sympathetic look and I knew that he understood. I was determined not to let Jennifer spoil things for me, but when we mounted up ready for our first lesson, Sophie called out, “Shouldn’t Poppy be in Group B, Sally?”

    I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me – and Prince too!
    I went all red and flustery and tried to pretend I didn’t hear what Sally was saying to the other girls, which was, “Poppy is doing just fine where she is.”
    As Jennifer rode past me to join her group, she said, “Don’t worry, Poppy, no one thinks you’re a weed. Everyone just feels sorry for you.”
    “But I don’t WANT them to feel…” I started saying, but she’d trotted off.

    After that I couldn’t think about anything except what Jennifer had said, that I MUST canter. I got more and more anxious as the lesson went on, and when it was time to canter, Sally gave us the choice again and Sophie eagerly said she’d have a try. I said I would, too, but then suddenly the tears were spilling out.
    “Poppy, it’s fine not to!” said Sally, smiling kindly.
    “But I have to canter today,” I insisted, gulping down the tears, “or