THE NEXT MORNING, Poppy ate a good breakfast of porridge oats made with creamy milk and sweetened with a dash of honey, followed by a warm butter croissant topped with Granny Bumble’s strawberry jam. With only three days to go before the event, she was trying to remember everything Daisy had taught her. She vaguely heard the phone ringing.
“It’s David Sage on the line for you, Poppy!” called Mum. “It’s about Twinkletoes – he’s not well.”
“Oh, no!” cried Poppy as she dashed into the hall to pick up the phone.
When she finished talking to David, she looked very worried indeed.
“What is it, darling?” asked Mum, concerned.
“David thinks Twinks has caught a chill,” explained Poppy, not even thinking about the competition, just worried about her beloved pony. “Can I go down to the stables now?”
“Yes, sweetheart.” Mum smiled at her. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. David will know how to make him better and Twinkletoes is a strong little thing.”
When Poppy arrived at the stables, Mrs Meadowsweet came out to meet her. She looked very anxious, which made Poppy feel even more worried.
“Oh, Poppy! Bad news, I’m afraid. Twinkletoes developed a chill and then a high temperature during the night. David has checked him over and says he’ll be back before lunch to look at him again. In the meantime, we’ve got to keep him warm and get him to drink as much water as possible.”
Poppy burst into tears. “It’s all my fault for getting him soaked yesterday!” she wailed.
“Don’t be silly, Poppy. Sally told me all about that, but none of the other ponies are ill and they were all wet too, weren’t they? It’s just one of those things, dear. David suggested that you should rest Twinkletoes for a couple of days – then he should be fine. Oh, look, here comes Daisy!”
Daisy was very sorry to learn that Twinkletoes was unwell and did her best to comfort Poppy. The girls decided to go and see for themselves how the pony was doing. They found him lying down in his stall with his head hanging low, looking very sorry for himself. He nickered softly when he saw Poppy, trying to show that he was pleased to see her. She dived in beside him and hugged him tight.
“I’ve helped to make you better before and I’ll do it again!” she promised. “Daisy, would you sit with him just while I go home? I need to get some things.”
Daisy agreed and Poppy dashed home as fast as her legs would take her. As quick as a flash, she packed an overnight bag with pyjamas, toothbrush, change of clothes and, most important of all, her flower healing wand, which had worked so well when Grandpa was sick.
“Mum!” she called. “See you tomorrow. I’m going to sleep at the stables until Twinkletoes is better!”
Mum saw Poppy disappear down the path like a streak of lightning. She put the twins in the pram, gathered together some fruit, bread, cheese and bottled water on the pram basket for lunch, and followed Poppy down to the stables. Mum loved Twinkletoes too, but there was no way she was going to let Poppy sleep there.
When Mum arrived, she found Poppy offering Twinkletoes a baby’s bottle full of water. Daisy had supported Poppy all she could, but now she had to catch the train home to meet her friends, Lily and Rose.
Mum and Poppy stayed with Twinkletoes all morning while the twins played with the chickens and kittens. At lunch time they heard David Sage come into the yard. He examined the little chestnut pony thoroughly. Poppy was desperately hoping that he would say that Twinkletoes was well on the way to recovery, but it was bad news.
“I’m afraid it’s gone to his chest,” David told them. “It’s more serious than I thought. We do know he’s a little fighter but he’s going to need lots of looking after.”
He left a bottle of medicine to be given to Twinkletoes.
“Poppy,” said Mum after they’d given the pony some medicine and made sure he was as comfortable as possible, “you really should come home now – we can come back in time for his next dose.”
But Poppy shook her head with such determination that Mum knew there was no point in trying to persuade her headstrong daughter to change her mind.
“OK, then. If you really do insist on staying here all day and all night, I’ll send Dad down with two sleeping bags as soon as he gets home from work. I’m sure Twinks will be fine, Poppy, especially with you looking after him. Try not to worry too much,” she said. “I’ll let Mrs Meadowsweet know what the plan is.”
When Mum and the twins had left, Poppy burst into tears. She was so worried about her pony and was quite sure it was all her fault, whatever everyone else said.
Mrs Meadowsweet came down to keep Poppy company for the rest of the afternoon. When Dad arrived in the early evening, she went back up to the farmhouse.
Dad and Poppy laid out their beds in the stall, checked that Twinkletoes was comfortable, and then, at Mrs Meadowsweet’s invitation, went up to the farmhouse for some supper.
When they got back, Dad tucked Poppy up in her sleeping bag with a fluffy pillow from the farmhouse under her head and settled down beside her. Poppy immediately fell into a deep and exhausted sleep.
David Sage dropped by for a last look at the sick pony, but he couldn’t see much improvement.
“She’s devoted, that’s for sure!” he said to Dad as they both looked at Poppy, lying asleep in the straw. “I’ll go over to the big veterinary practice in Camomile Cove first thing tomorrow – they might have some stronger antibiotics. I’ll see you then.”
“Thanks, David,” said Dad. “I appreciate all your help.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my job. But this little pony, he’s a bit special,” said David. “And so is this little princess.”
Poppy woke very early the next morning and felt all achy. Dad was still fast asleep. Poppy looked over at her pony. He seemed far worse. He looked at her with big, sad eyes, as if to say, “What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?”
Poppy sat by his side until David arrived with the antibiotics. After he’d had given Twinkletoes his jab he turned to Poppy.
“I hear you are due to compete in a pony competition on Twinks soon?”
“Yes, in two days’ time. We’ve been practising for ages,” said Poppy.
“Well, Twinkletoes is definitely going to get better but I’m afraid I don’t think he’ll be well enough in time for that,” said David. “I’m sorry. Maybe you could use one of the Meadowsweets’ ponies. I’m sure they’d let you ride Plum, for instance.”
Poppy thought about this for a moment. “I only really want to ride on Twinkletoes,” she said, “but I suppose I could think about trying out another a pony. But only if I see that Twinkletoes is getting better – otherwise I’d never be able to concentrate.”
Poppy’s dad was now wide awake and he liked David’s idea about Poppy riding another pony. He decided to find out if this might be possible and headed back to Honeysuckle Cottage to ring the Pony Club.
Meanwhile Poppy lovingly plaited Twinkletoes’ mane and tail and softly brushed his coat. She gave him drinks of water, while Mrs Meadowsweet kept an eye on things and brought Poppy a delicious bowl of creamy porridge, drizzled with raspberry jam.
Dad soon got through to Bluebell Lambton. He explained the situation with Poppy’s pony and told her that another pony was available at the stables.
“I’m sorry, Mr Cotton, but the rules state that only the registered pony can compete.
So, unless Twinkletoes gets better, Poppy will not be able to take part,” Bluebell told him. Again, she felt very sorry, but she had done as much as she could for Poppy Cotton; this was one thing she couldn’t alter.
Dad thanked her and said goodbye. He was disappointed that this solution wasn’t going to work and nervous about telling the news to Poppy. She would be so upset if she couldn’t compete. It was bad enough that her beloved pony was ill, but this would be too much.
“I’ll go down to Riverside to tell her, James,” said Mum. “You look after the twins.”