Winter Wonderland #5 Read Free Page A

insisted.
    Preeti wisely kept silent.
    Her mom went to make a quick phone call to the local pet center and leave their address and phone number, in case Comet’s owner turned up.
    Preeti was totally confident that no one was going to claim her secret magical friend.
    “We’re keeping the pony. We’re keeping the pony!” Viren pretended to be riding around the kitchen. Clicking his tongue, he made clopping noises as he galloped out of the kitchen and thudded up the stairs.
    Preeti decided to go back down to the barn to tell Comet the good news about him being allowed to stay. Besides, she wanted to settle him in properly. She was halfway there when she heard a familiar voice.

    “Wait for me! I’m coming, too. I want to help!” Viren insisted.
    “Okay, then, but you have to do as I say,” she told him.
    He frowned. “Why?”
    “Because I’m older and I know how to look after ponies,” Preeti said firmly. “Deal?”
    Viren groaned, but when he saw that she was serious, he shrugged. “Deal.”
    Comet looked up as they came in. “Greetings, Preeti. Greetings, Viren,” he snorted.
    “Hi, Comet!” Viren sang out, rushing straight over to stroke him.
    Preeti smiled at Comet. “We’ve come to make you a comfortable stable.”
    She showed Viren how to spread a thick layer of straw to make a cozy bed.
    “Easy-peasy!” He gathered armfuls of straw, but he dropped more than half of it and left wisps and clumps all over the floor.
    Preeti decided that it was easier to just let him get on with it and then clean up afterward. She knew from experience that her brother would get upset if she pointed out that he was making a mess.
    “Right. Finished!” Viren said proudly a few minutes later. He dusted off his hands. “I’m going to build a snowman now! Come and help me, Preeti.”
    “I still have to finish up in here. You go ahead and I’ll follow you in a minute,” she said.
    “Well, hurry up then.”
    Once her brother had gone outside, Preeti filled a bucket with water and thenfound some old netting and managed to rig up a makeshift hay net.
    Comet nibbled at the hay with his strong young teeth. “It is very warm and safe here. Thank you,” he whinnied.
    “You’re welcome!” Preeti smiled, pleased that Comet liked his cozy new stable.
    “Preeti! Where are you?” Viren bawled impatiently from the garden. “I’m getting bored by myself.”
    “I’m just cleaning up!” Preeti called to him. She sighed.
What a mess!
    She was just about to start tackling it when she felt a strange tingling sensation flowing down to the ends of her fingers. Bright violet sparks ignited in Comet’s silky mouse-brown coat, and his dark gray mane crackled with tiny lightning bolts of power.
    Preeti’s eyes widened. Something very strange was about to happen.
    She watched in amazement as every last scrap of the scattered straw twitched up into the air.
Swoosh! Crackle!
It swirled around for a few seconds before gathering together and forming the shape of a large straw robot.
Rustle!
He marched across thebarn to where the straw bales were stored and jumped on top of them.

    With a soft whispering sound, the straw robot collapsed into a neat heap, just as every last bright spark faded from Comet’s coat.
    “Wow! That was amazing!” Preeti said. “It would have taken me ages to clean all that up. Thanks, Comet.”
    “You are welcome. Now you can go and have fun in the snow, too.” Comet leaned forward to push his satiny nose into her hands.
    Preeti’s heart melted as the magic pony huffed warm grass-scented breath over her fingers. She felt a surge of fondness for him. Comet hadn’t been here for long, but she already loved him to pieces.

As Preeti made her way through the garden, it finally stopped snowing. The sky was milk-white above the rooftops.
    Viren was on the small lawn outside the sitting-room window. He was puffing and panting as he piled armfuls of snow into a big mound.
    “That took you forever,” he