Jet's Stormy Adventure

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Part I

The sun had just risen when Katie eagerly woke her brother, Greg. Their father's best Appaloosa mare, Jet to Go, was due to foal today. She'd been bred to a special stallion. Donovan's Star was one of the top ten Jumpers in the nation.

Dark clouds scudded across the dawn sky, promising rain, while Katie and Greg rushed into the barn. Inside, Jet happily munched her breakfast, as fat as ever.

Katie swallowed her tears, she loved Jet more than any other horse and she'd waited so long for this baby. She knew that mares preferred to have their foals in the early morning hours. She sighed, she'd have to wait yet another day. Determinedly, she picked up a brush and began long strokes over Jet's body. Greg joined her and soon they were hard at work. Lost in their own thoughts, they didn't hear their mother call them twice for breakfast.

"Katie! Greg? Your breakfast is getting cold! Put down those brushes and get inside!" she scolded form the doorway to the barn. Then she started for the house.

"Breakfast!" Greg charged for the door. Katie sighed and stroked Jet's beautiful mane.

"Maybe tomorrow, Old Girl," she said softly to Jet. Then she turned and, after putting up her brush, ran to join her family for breakfast.

Just as Katie finished the last of her pancakes and sausages, one of the hired men rushed into the house. "Jet's gone! I found her stall door open. I figure she's been gone for about an hour or so. We've got to find her before the storm hits!"

Breakfast forgotten, Katie ran for the barn. Sure enough, there was Jet's stall: empty. She knew she was the one to blame for the open stall door. Tears flooded her eyes, if anything happened to Jet or her baby, Katie would hate herself forever.

Turning around, she ran back to the barn door, to watch the storm. In the distance the clouds were black, and lightning flashed dangerously. She scanned the area, turning first one way and then the other. People scurried around, searching for the missing mare.

Down the drive, on the other side of the road, lay a big grassy field. If I know Jet, thought Katie, she would have gone over there for a snack. Remembering the need to hurry, she grabbed a halter and raced toward the field. The grass was almost as tall as she was!

Calling Jet's name, Katie searched until she was far from home. She was just about to give up when she heard a horse snort ahead of her. Jumping high, she saw Jet standing a little bit away.

Katie knew if she ran, she would frighten Jet, so she walked slowly toward the mare, crooning softly. When she finally had ahold, she gently slipped the halter on her. Katie gave the mare a big hug. She was so relieved to find Jet safe. Then she noticed four black skinny legs tripping in the long grass under the other side of Jet's belly. Her heart jumped.

Peeking around the mare's neck she saw a pair of bright little eyes and sharp little ears. The foal was still damp from being born. It had a star like its sire.

The thunder rumbled, shaking Katie out of her reverie and reminding her of the urgency of the situation. Resisting the temptation to make friends, Katie urged the mare and foal toward home. The first few steps were slow, the foal didn't understand it was supposed to follow. Jet nickered at it several times and slowly it stumbled over to them. After a few stops like this, the foal started to follow better and Katie didn't have to stop so often.

Just as they reached the road, the rain came cascading down. Jet ducked her head and circled around the baby to protect it. Katie couldn't stop her, the mare was too strong. She refused to let go of the mare, even though she was being drug and stepped on.

Suddenly, big hands reached over hers and took hold of the halter. Jet stopped turning, and pranced and nickered in place, frantic for her baby. When she calmed, Katie's dad said, "I'll carry the foal, if you can manage Jet."

Katie nodded and tried to smile. She was getting cold and was soaked all the way through. Her father scooped up the baby, its little legs wiggling furiously, and turned to let Jet see where it was. Then he began up the long drive toward the barn. Jet charged after him, with Katie almost running, trying to keep the mare under control.

When they reached the barn, a man was there with blankets for the horses and one each for Katie and her father. She wrapped her blanket around her and watched as her dad and Greg rubbed the horses until they were dry. Her mom brought hot chocolate to warm them all.

Katie was still cold. She tried to keep anyone from seeing her shivers. She didn't want to go to the house yet. "Dad, I'm the one who left Jet's stall door open. I guess I wasn't paying attention when I left for breakfast this morning. I'm sorry." She had a hard time meeting her father's eyes.

He leaned over and gave her a big hug. Then he said, "Katie, you know what you did was careless, Jet and her new foal could have gotten hurt or worse. I'm sure you'll never let it happen again."

Katie shook her head and vowed, "Never!"

They turned to watch the new foal with his mother. Katie's dad said, "It was quite an adventure for this little guy. I think I'll name him Jet Adventure."

Then he noticed Katie shivering and turned her toward the house, saying, "It's time to get you out of those wet clothes and into a warm bath. Me too. We can't handle the weather as well as horses can. Jet and her baby will still be here later, you can visit them then. For now, march."

As they started for the house, Katie glanced back over her shoulder at the pair in the stall. Then she smiled. She couldn't stop smiling.

Part II

Katie scrambled up beside her brother, Greg. They were perched on a paddock fence watching their father. He was inside, leading a colt named Jet Adventure. Of the twenty-three foals born this year, Adventure was Katie's most favorite.

The day the colt was born, Katie and Greg had accidently left the mare's stall door open. She had wandered while a big storm was approaching. Katie had found the mare with a newborn foal by her side, and brought them safely home just in time.

She loved Jet Adventure, even more than she loved his mother, Jet to Go. It depressed her to think that he would soon be sold.

Her father was done with the colt's lesson. Katie trailed them back to the stall. Greg waited on the fence to watch the next lesson.

Katie started brushing Adventure's curly black coat, while her father left to start the next foal's lesson. She paused to trace the white spots on his hips. The colt turned his head to watch her. Curious eyes stared at her from
either side of a big white star. He nickered at her, shoving his nose toward her. Katie laughed and played with him awhile.

Later, Katie was in her room when her father came in. "Greg and I are going to town. Do you want to go with us?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'll stay here with Mom." She was still depressed.

Her father nodded. His gaze roamed over her drawings of horses. Most of them were of Jet Adventure. Some were of him as a full grown horse, ridden by a girl. They covered her wall like a carpet.

Her father took out his wallet and looked into it. "I'm a little short on cash, do you have a dollar I could have?"

"Sure Dad." Katie hopped down from her bed and dug four quarters out of her coin jar. Her father had never asked her for money before. It worried her. Maybe he had to sell Adventure to pay some bills. She decided she'd try to be
brave.

"Thanks." He tugged her ponytail and left. Katie took out a pencil and paper. She began to draw.

Two and a half weeks later, Katie scuffed her feet along the path to the barn. Sixteen of the twenty-three foals were already gone. Jet Adventure was the best foal on the farm. She was surprised he hadn't been sold yet.

Her father probably had a higher price on him because of his breeding. It was just a matter of time until the right buyer came along.

Nearing the stall, Katie heard voices.

"He's a dandy colt, all right," a man's voice said.

Her father chuckled. "He should be, with his bloodlines."

They were coming out of the stall now. Katie ducked around the corner. After waiting a few moments she peeked down the alley of the barn. The two men were at the far end. While she watched, she saw them shake hands. She knew what that meant. Her colt would be leaving soon.

She ran into Adventure's stall. He was on the ground asleep. Katie threw herself down beside him. He jumped, but seeing it was Katie he laid his head back down.

Katie hugged her colt and cried. A moment later Katie's father came in. He knelt down beside them. "Dad, I know you need the money to pay bills, but I love him. Please don't sell him!" she begged.

"It's too late." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. It was Adventure's registration papers. There, where it said owner, was her name!

Katie stared at him, not understanding.

"We have enough money to pay our bills. The dollar I asked for that day was so you could buy Jet Adventure. You own him now. Nobody can sell him but you." He was smiling at her.

Katie couldn't believe it. She hugged the sleepy colt. Jet Adventure was hers! He would always be hers.

Part III

Katie opened the curtain for the hundredth time and looked at the weanling barn. She had the feeling that something bad was about to happen. She thought she should tell her father, maybe ask him to check Jet Adventure again.

It had been five months since she'd found the colt and his mother in the field during a big storm. Since then, not only had she become the colt's owner, but Adventure had also been weaned.

He hadn't liked being seperated from his mother, Jet. Twice he had climbed the six foot walls of his stall, running up and down the barn alley, whinnying frantically. He had also pulled himself free from Katie's father several times, jumping fences to rejoin his mother.

Katie turned away from the window, but turned back when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked out the window again. Her heart froze. An orange spike of fire was crawling across the side of the barn!

"Fire! Dad! The barn's on fire!" She yelled, racing through the door.

Her father and Greg ran past her before she reached the barn. Her mother stayed behind to call for help.

"We'll take the horses closest to the fire first," her father yelled. It was hard to hear him above the panicked cries of the weanlings. He and Greg ran to the already burning stalls.

Desperately Katie rushed for the first stall across the alley from the fire. She wrenched the door open. The filly trapped inside was crouched in the back, looking around her with crazed eyes.

Katie crooned to her, holding out her hand. The filly looked liked she was going to lunge, so Katie quickly grabbed the foal's halter and clipped on the lead.

The fire has spread to the third stall now. Katie could hear the screams of terror from the foal trapped inside. As they neared the flames, the filly reared and plunged past her, almost knocking her over.

Her father was running back into the barn. He paused when he reached her. "Can you handle her? If you can't, let her go. I don't want you to get hurt." He said, waiting to make sure she understood. Then he raced for the burning stall.

The filly was pulling her now, almost dragging her. Looking ahead, Katie could see Greg was having the same problem with the foal he was leading. The foals didn't calm once they were outside, but continued to pitch wildly. Katie's mother took Greg's foal and sent him back to help their father. Then she motioned for Katie to follow her to the paddock by the house.

It was slow going, the weanlings wanted to charge every direction. More than once Katie almost lost the filly. By the time they got to the paddock, her father was there with the foal from the third stall. It was a big red colt, one of the first born that year. As it danced around and around her father, Katie could see a big ugly patch of blackened hair and burned flesh on the colt's flank.

Katie shuddered. As soon as she turned the filly loose, she was running for the barn again. Meeting Greg coming out of the barn, she took his colt from him, motioning him back inside to save another.

On and on they went, neighbors and hired hands joining in the fight.

One of Katie's many trips to the paddock showed her Jet Adventure's face outlined with the others. She breathed a deep sigh of relief, almost crying. His stall was one-third the way down the barn, where the fire had spread to now. She'd been afraid he'd end up like the red colt, or maybe worse.

The fire department was arriving. Katie scurried to get out of the way of the big trucks. She didn't pause to watch the firemen, but ran back to the barn. This time she led out a big bay colt. Katie didn't think she could hold him. Suddenly her father appeared, taking her lead. He smiled at her. "We have enough help now. I want you to sit outside and rest. It's going to be all right. We'll be able to get them all."

She smiled back at him, tears streaming down her face. Then her father was gone with the colt. Wearily Katie stumbled up the path to the house. Her
mother handed her a glass of water. Katie collapsed into a sitting position, gulping from the glass. She didn't think she'd ever been this tired. After a few moments Greg trudged from the paddock and joined her.

They smiled at each other. There were sixteen weanlings in that barn and they got them all out. Everything was going to be all right.

Part IV

Katie ran her hands along the new boards, pressing her nose against them to smell the pine. It made her nose tingle. It had been a month since the fire. They had to tear down the remains of the old barn. In it's place stood the skeleton for a new thirty stall weaning barn.

The fire chief said the fire was caused by faulty wiring. A lot of old barns had wiring that was chewed through by mice, or just plain worn through.

Katie tried to imagine what it would be like to have thirty weanlings on the farm at one time. She shook her head, it was impossible to picture. Her colt, Jet Adventure, whinnied at her, propping his chin on the top board of his paddock. Katie's life hadn't been the same since that colt had been born.

First, the colt's mother had escaped her stall with a big storm on the way. Katie had found her, with a new foal, Jet Adventure. Not long after that, her father had given her the colt for the price of one dollar. Then came
the fire a few weeks after Adventure had been weaned. Katie sighed, wondering what it was about her colt that made things happen.

Adventure whinnied again. He was lonely. He was used to playing with a big crowd of colts, not just the two others he shared his paddock with now. After the fire a lot of weanlings had been shipped early to their owners. Some had even been boarded at different neighbors until the new barn was complete.

Jet Adventure and a few others were allowed to stay here. The big red colt that had gotten burned in the fire was healing well in a nearby paddock. Katie watched her colt gallop away. He was showing off for her, bucking and twisting and jumping imaginary obstacles in his path.

She vowed that someday that colt was going to carry her over the tallest jumps. The crowd would give them standing ovations. They'd have more ribbons than there were walls in Katie's house.

She whistled for the colt. It was a special whistle that nobody else used. Adventure spun and charged toward her, sliding to a stop just feet away. Katie laughed. She began combing his silky mane, murmuring about her plans for their future.

It would be two years before she would be allowed to ride him. Then it would be several years after that before she could jump him over the big jumps.

She didn't mind. In her mind, they were already champions.