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‘Can I ride her?’ Mary asked. ‘What’s her name?’
Amanda was busy platting the long purple mane while the pony tried to wriggle free. ‘I think I’ll call her Pinky. I want a ride first.’
Wanda sat on the windowsill and watched, grinning at how successful her first birthday wish had been.
Pinky was exactly the right size for the girls to ride on and she trotted around and around the room while the girls took turns.
Then mum came upstairs. She looked at the pony but didn’t say anything. Then she looked at the trail of chocolate hoof-prints, shook her head in disbelief and left.
Shortly after that Amanda’s Dad came up and did the same thing.
Pinky stood still while her mane was brushed out again then re-plaited. The girls washed the chocolate off with mum’s best towel and they took turns leading her around the room. After they painted her hooves red with mum’s nail polish they platted her mane one more time.
‘I think she needs a bath,’ Mary suggested.
‘Good idea,’ Amanda agreed and they led the little pony to the bathroom. They couldn’t get her in the bath so they turned on the shower. Pinky didn’t like the water. She began to wriggle and kick.
‘Umm... Amanda,’ Mary said as they turned off the water. ‘Pinky is growing.’
‘Really?’ Amanda said, and tried to climb on Pinky’s back but the pony was too tall. Wanda flew over to look. Sure enough Pinky was much bigger than before. They led her back to the bedroom and she only just fitted in!
Pinky was still upset about the shower and when they tried to brush her coat with Amanda’s hair brush Pinky had had enough. She kicked and jumped around the room, crashing into the bookshelf and breaking the desk lamp.
‘Maybe my room isn’t the best place for her,’ Amanda said, looking at the destruction her new pony had caused.
Pinky must have thought the same too as she bolted from the room and ran off down the hallway.
‘Oh no!’ Amanda yelled. ‘Not mum’s room.’
The two girls ran off after the pony but they were too late. Pinky had already kicked over the dressing table. There was a loud cracking sound as Pinky kicked the window.
‘You’re in trouble now,’ Mary said, backing away a bit.
‘Wanda!’ Amanda shouted. ‘What do I do?’
‘I can’t help,’ Wanda said, fluttering over and dodging the wildly kicking pony. ‘I can only give one wish.’
Amanda tried to grab the pony by the bright yellow halter but it wouldn’t let her.
The pony was getting bigger by the minute and soon she would fill up the entire room.
Wanda felt bad. A birthday wish was supposed to be fun. ‘I could move her down to the garden - that’s not really a wish.’
‘Yes please!’ both girls said.
With a tap of her wand, the pony vanished and the girls ran off down the stairs. Wanda flew after them. The girls ran past Amanda’s parents and grandma and out to the back garden. Wanda looked at the grownups as she flew past. They were talking quietly together and pointing at the pony through the window.
‘I didn’t buy a pony,’ Grandma insisted, getting a receipt out of her bag. ‘See it’s for a bike.’
‘So where did it come from?’ Dad asked. Nobody answered.
Wanda flew off to join the girls in the garden.
‘Wanda! She’s getting bigger,’ Amanda said.
‘She’s as big as a real horse now,’ Mary said. ‘I saw one down at the farm we went to at Christmas.’
‘They’re that big?’ Amanda said, looking up at the large pink pony. It had just knocked over the washing line and one hoof smashed a pot plant.
Just then a voice spoke from high above them. ‘It looks like you’ve got a problem.’
Wanda looked up and saw Mirella sitting on the roof. Her legs hung over the edge and fairy dust sprinkled from them as she moved.
‘This is Mirella. She’s been training me,’ Wanda told the girls. She hung her head. ‘I did my best.’
‘The wish is just fine,’ Mirella said, fluttering down. ‘It’s a horse-sized pony, so you gave her exactly what she asked for.’
‘But there’s just no room for a pony here,’ Amanda said with a sigh.
‘Did you tell her about the rewind?’ Mirella asked Wanda.
‘No!’ Wanda said with a grin. That was the answer to their problems.
‘What’s a rewind?’ Amanda asked.
‘It will fix everything,’ Wanda said, taking out the watch that hung from her golden necklace.