Sparkle the Circus Pony

by Poppy Shire

  Magic Pony Carousel

  Book 1

  Sparkle the Circus Pony

  Poppy Shire

  Illustrations by Ron Berg

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  “Step up, step up for the most exciting ride of…

  Chapter 2

  Megan landed on a heap of soft yellow sawdust. She…

  Chapter 3

  “My, oh my, who’s this?” cried a voice. Megan spun…

  Chapter 4

  As soon as the words were out, Megan clapped her…

  Chapter 5

  Juliet looked like she might be ready to cry, too.

  Chapter 6

  Juliet gave Megan a hug. “Thank you, thank you!” she…

  Chapter 7

  Sparkle snuffled warmly in her hair. “You gave me the…

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Chapter 1

  “Step up, step up for the most exciting ride of your lives! Choose your favorite pony and let Barker’s Magic Pony Carousel whisk you away on an amazing adventure!”

  Megan felt tingly all over when she heard the voice booming across the fairground. A Magic Pony Carousel? She couldn’t think of anything more wonderful!

  “That’s the ride I’d like to go on next!” she told her mom. “Can I, please?”

  “I thought you didn’t like ponies anymore,” her mom teased. “That’s what you said when you fell off in your riding lesson last week.”

  Megan thought for a moment. It was true that falling off had made her a bit nervous about real ponies. “But carousel ponies will be a lot safer,” she said.

  “Yes, they will,” agreed her mom. “Though I’m not sure why you’re worried about ponies when you’re so crazy about gymnastics. That’s just as dangerous, if you ask me!”

  Megan laughed. “Oh, no,” she said. “In gymnastics there are nice thick mats to land on!”

  The Magic Pony Carousel stood in a far corner of the field, next to a cotton candy stand. The base was painted in swirling patterns of red, gold, and silver, and twinkling colored lights hung from the roof. The horses were fixed to twisty golden poles, rising up and down in time with the music. Megan thought she’d never be able to decide which one to ride. They all looked lovely. There was a beautiful chestnut Arab horse with a pretty star and a flowing mane and tail…a majestic bay knight’s charger dressed for battle…a pretty Appaloosa with a Western saddle and bridle….

  And then she saw the fourth horse, which had a feathery pink headdress that sparkled in the twinkling lights. He had no saddle or reins at all, and his dappled back looked smooth and comfortable. His neck was proudly arched, but his big brown eyes were warm and friendly and his snow-white tail streamed out behind him.

  “It’s a circus pony!” Megan breathed. She could already imagine herself under the bright lights in a circus ring, wearing a spangly sequined costume.

  She left her mom and ran over for a closer look. There was a name written on a scroll hanging from the twisty pole.

  “‘Sparkle,’” Megan read. “Perfect.”

  As she gazed up at the pony, she felt a tickle in her nose. It grew and grew and grew until Megan couldn’t stop it. “Ahhh-choo!” she sneezed.

  “Bless you!” cried a voice.

  Megan spun around. A tall man was smiling down at her. He looked very different from the other fairground people. He was wearing a red velvet suit with a bright green lining and a stripy green-and-red top hat, with wisps of white hair peeping from underneath.

  “I am Mr. Barker,” he announced with a bow. “And this is my world-famous Magic Pony Carousel. Here, take a hanky.” He pulled a whole string of colored handkerchiefs out of his pocket.

  “Wow!” gasped Megan. “Thank you!” She picked out a pink hanky with yellow flowers.

  “Have you chosen which pony you’re going to ride?” asked Mr. Barker, his blue eyes twinkling merrily.

  “Oh yes.” Megan nodded.

  Mr. Barker held up his hand. “Don’t tell me!” he warned. “Just close your eyes and think very hard about the pony you want.”

  “Go on, Megan,” her mom encouraged her.

  Megan squeezed her eyes tight shut and pictured Sparkle’s shiny white coat and gorgeous pink headdress.

  “Are you thinking hard?” asked Mr. Barker.

  “Very hard,” Megan replied.

  “Then open your eyes and take a ticket. You don’t need to pay—my Magic Carousel is free to everyone!”

  To Megan’s astonishment, an old-fashioned ticket machine had appeared in front of her on a little red stand. She was sure it hadn’t been there before. She glanced at her mom to see if she’d noticed it, but she was busy rummaging in her bag. Megan turned back to Mr. Barker, who smiled and turned a wooden handle on the side of the machine. A little pink ticket popped out.

  “Is that for me?” Megan exclaimed.

  “It most certainly is,” said Mr. Barker. “Go on, see which pony the Magic Carousel has chosen for you!”

  Megan took the ticket and looked down at the swirly silver writing. Then she gave a little cry of joy. The ticket said Sparkle.

  She was going to ride the circus pony!

  Megan climbed eagerly onto Sparkle’s back. She felt very daring, riding bareback, but she was sure she wouldn’t fall off, because she could hold on to the twisty golden pole. She waved to her mom with one hand as the carousel began to turn.

  The carousel ponies rose and fell in time to the tinkling music. It felt wonderful, like flying gently through the air. Megan held on more tightly as the carousel spun faster. She caught one more glimpse of her mom’s smiling face, then all she could see were the dazzling colors of the carousel. Was she imagining it, or had they got brighter? She could even see twinkling stars in her pony’s headdress!

  The fairground vanished in a blur of pink and silver glitter. This was the most amazing ride Megan had ever been on! She tried to grip the pole tighter, then stared in surprise. She wasn’t holding the pole. She was holding Sparkle’s mane, and there was silky hair between her fingers, as if it was a real mane. She let go with one hand and stroked Sparkle’s neck. It felt soft and warm. And then she heard something new—just like the rhythm of horses’ hooves….

  Megan gasped. What had happened to the carousel pony? The pink and silver sparkles began to fade away, and Megan thought she could see another white pony just like Sparkle in front of her. Before she could be sure, she felt herself wobble. She grabbed on to the mane and looked down.

  Sparkle’s hooves were thudding on pale yellow sawdust, around a ring enclosed by scarlet-painted wood. Puzzled, Megan looked around. A dark blue canvas roof stretched above them, decorated with tiny silver stars.

  She was riding a real pony in a circus ring!

  The last of the sparkles vanished, and Megan could see everything clearly. Sparkle was following five other white ponies around the ring, all wearing a twinkling blue headdress. Megan thought Sparkle was prettier than all the others. He was the only one with a pink headdress, too. The other riders were wearing brightly colored leotards and leggings, with soft dance shoes on their feet. Megan looked down, and her eyes almost popped out of her head. She was wearing the same things!

  Before she could wonder where her jeans and jacket had gone, she realized that the other riders weren’t sitting on their ponies anymore. One by one, they tucked up their feet and crouched on their ponies’ backs. After their ponies cantered a few strides, they got their balances and stood up with their arms held out to the sides.

  Megan gulped. Was she supposed to copy them? She’d done hardly any riding before. Bu
t she was cantering around the ring on a circus pony, so she guessed she had to try! At least she was good at balancing from all her gymnastics, and luckily no one was watching. The seats in the circus ring were empty, and the other riders weren’t looking back.

  Slowly, carefully, she lifted her feet up one at a time until she was crouching, as she’d seen the other riders do. So far, so good! Then she let go of Sparkle’s mane, and began to straighten her legs, so that she was rising up, up, up….

  She wobbled first one way, then the other.

  “Oh!” Megan gasped, stretching out her arms.

  That made it a bit easier to balance. Feeling safer, she straightened her legs the rest of the way. She was standing on the back of a real live circus pony!

  But then she glanced down at Sparkle’s ears. They didn’t seem quite straight. Not at all straight. In a single split second, Megan realized she’d lost her balance after all. She was falling, falling….

  Thump.

  She was off!

  Chapter 2

  Megan landed on a heap of soft yellow sawdust. She sat up and rubbed her elbow, wondering what was happening to her. Everything had been going so well, like a beautiful dream, then she’d tumbled off! She frowned. Was this a dream? If it was, why hadn’t the bump woken her up?

  Sparkle was still cantering behind the other ponies and riders, who were disappearing one by one through long red curtains at the far end of the ring. Soon the big top was completely empty, and the velvet curtains swished shut. Tiers of seats stretched away into the shadows near the star-spotted roof. This wasn’t part of the fairground, was it? Wherever Megan was, she had to get back to the carousel before her mom realized she’d disappeared!

  Megan wondered if she should follow the ponies through the curtains—but then Sparkle trotted over. He was the only pony left in the ring.

  He stopped in front of Megan and pricked his ears. “Are you all right down there?” he said in a young, friendly voice.

  Megan’s mouth fell open. “You—you can talk!” she stammered.

  Sparkle snorted. “Of course I can.”

  “But you’re a carousel pony!” Megan said. “At least you were a few minutes ago.”

  “Yes, but it’s a magic carousel,” Sparkle explained, his big brown eyes shining. “Remember Mr. Barker’s ticket machine? And the ticket with my name on it? That didn’t just happen by luck. The magic chose you specially. There’s something very important for you to do here before you can go back.”

  Megan tried to take it in. “But what about my mom? She doesn’t know where I am!”

  “You don’t need to worry about that,” said Sparkle. “She won’t even notice you’ve gone. You’re in magic time here. When you go back to the fairground, your mom will think you’ve been on the carousel the whole time.”

  “Wow!” Megan’s mouth dropped open. She scrambled to her feet. “But how am I going to get home?” she asked.

  “The magic will take you back when the special task is over,” Sparkle reassured her. “We’ll go back together.”

  Megan looked into Sparkle’s eyes with their long black eyelashes, and felt sure she could trust him. “So where am I? What do I have to do?”

  “This is Mr. Scarletti’s Amazing Traveling Circus,” Sparkle replied. “To be honest, I’m not sure what the task is yet. We’ll have to find that out together.”

  It was all very mysterious, and Megan felt a thrill of excitement.

  Sparkle nuzzled her arm. “Shall we look around?”

  Megan reached out and stroked Sparkle’s nose. His muzzle was soft and warm, and felt lovely. “Do you promise that my mom won’t notice I’m not on the carousel anymore?” she said.

  “Promise.” Sparkle nodded, making his headdress twinkle in the big-top lights.

  “So what will happen if we run across the ring and out through the curtain?” Megan asked.

  “Let’s find out!” said Sparkle.

  Megan ran across the sawdust and pulled back the red curtain. It was a bright sunny day outside. And spread out all around her was a bustling, colorful circus showground!

  Chapter 3

  “My, oh my, who’s this?” cried a voice. Megan spun around. Standing in front of her was a tall man in a smart scarlet coat—and he looked just like Mr. Barker! He had exactly the same twinkling blue eyes and white hair.

  “H-hello,” she stammered.

  “Welcome to my circus!” said the man, giving her a big, warm smile.

  “Are you Mr. Scarletti?” Megan asked, feeling baffled.

  “That’s right,” said the man. “Have a wonderful time here. I’m sure you will.”

  He winked and strode away. Megan stared after him. Was that Mr. Barker? Surely it couldn’t be. How could Mr. Scarletti and Mr. Barker be the same person? It didn’t make sense!

  She heard a whinny, and realized that Sparkle was waiting for her. Megan turned to follow him and nearly ran straight into a pair of bright red trousers covered in big gold stars.

  “Out of my way! Out of my way!” someone shouted.

  Just in time, Megan jumped sideways.

  “You need to stop daydreaming,” called a grumpy voice from high in the air.

  Megan looked up. It was the longest pair of trousers she’d ever seen! A man with curly black hair was frowning down at her. Before she had time to apologize, he stalked past, taking giant steps.

  “Don’t worry about him,” said a man in a leopard-skin leotard. “That’s Sticky the Stilt-walker. He’s always grumpy. Even on a good day.”

  Sparkle nudged her with his muzzle. “Come on, let’s see what else there is,” he said.

  Megan frowned. The gymnast had said, “Even on a good day.” Did that mean today was a bad day? But before she could ask, Sparkle had trotted off toward a group of six jugglers, and Megan had to run to catch up.

  The jugglers were taking stripy wooden clubs out of a colorful trunk labelled THE JOLLY JUGGLERS. They stood in a circle and started throwing the clubs to each other. But even though they caught every one perfectly, they looked miserable. Their shoulders drooped and their mouths turned down at the corners.

  “You’d think they’d look a bit happier with a name like that!” said Megan.

  Sparkle snorted in agreement, then trotted past and stopped by a rather tangled-looking heap on a mat.

  Megan stared. What was that? The heap began to move, and all of a sudden it had two legs, two arms, and a head. It wasn’t a heap at all but a pretty girl with dark brown skin and little black braids.

  The girl looked up at Megan. “Hello,” she said in a doleful voice. “Who are you? I haven’t seen you around before.”

  Megan was taken by surprise. She hadn’t expected anyone to ask her questions. What if someone asked her where she’d come from? “Er—I’m Megan,” she said. She smiled nervously. “Who are you?”

  “Carrie the Contortionist,” said the girl. She smiled sadly. “I’m always tied up in knots.” Then she looked at Sparkle. “Whisper, what are you doing here? You should be with the other ponies!”

  Sparkle lowered his head and snorted. “She thinks I’m one of the circus ponies,” he said to Megan. “Come on, we’d better go.”

  Megan waved good-bye to Carrie and followed Sparkle, her mind buzzing. “Didn’t Carrie hear what you just said?” she asked the pony, once they’d left the contortionist behind.

  Sparkle shook his mane. “No one here understands me when I speak—apart from you,” he said. “They just hear snorts and whinnies. It’s all part of the magic.”

  Megan laughed in delight. She could hardly believe it—a wonderful magical pony all to herself! But in spite of her excitement, she couldn’t help noticing how miserable everyone else seemed to be. She followed Sparkle past a group of gloomy trapeze artists, some doleful dancers doing the splits, and a puppeteer with a sad, floppy puppet. Megan frowned. It must be a bad day. So far, she hadn’t seen a single person who looked happy!

  Suddenly, something bounced
in front of her and she stopped in surprise. It was an acrobat dressed in a bright pink leotard doing three backflips, all in a row. Megan and Sparkle had come to an open space filled with big rubber mats. Another acrobat was standing on his head, while a third ran around on her hands. Megan wished she could join in!

  Eight more acrobats walked onto the mats. Megan waited excitedly to see what they were going to do. First three strong-looking men stood in a row and linked arms. Then a girl with glossy blond hair tied in a ponytail climbed up and balanced on their shoulders.

  “It’s a human pyramid!” Megan gasped.

  Next, a boy about Megan’s age stepped forward. He had a mischievous face and his ears stuck out from underneath his untidy black hair. He took a deep breath and heaved himself up to stand next to the girl. He managed to get his feet into position, then stopped. He bent over so that he could cling onto the acrobats underneath.

  “That’s it, Joshua! Take Sally’s hand,” called a voice. Megan noticed another girl watching from beside the mats. She looked about Megan’s age, with the same black hair as Joshua, only tidier. She had one arm in a sling.

  Joshua looked very nervous. He let go with one hand. Then he let go with the other. But as soon as he began to stand up, everything went wrong.

  First he wobbled. Then he gave a yell. Then he lost his balance altogether and toppled over backward, landing with a thump on the rubber mats.

  Megan almost giggled. The boy looked so funny with his feet in the air—and when he stood up, his hair was sticking out in tufts all over the place. But she didn’t laugh, because everyone else looked so upset.

  “Never mind,” called out the girl with black hair. “You can do it, Josh! Really, you can!”

  “I don’t think I can.” Joshua sighed.

  Sparkle gave Megan a nudge. “Maybe we should say hello to the girl with the sling,” he whispered. “We’re here to help someone, remember.”