Jewel the Midnight Pony

by Poppy Shire

  Magic Pony Carousel

  Book 4

  Jewel the Midnight Pony

  Poppy Shire

  Illustrations by Ron Berg

  Contents

  Chapter One

  “Got it!” Sophie waved her long bamboo pole. It had…

  Chapter Two

  The sparkly mist cleared away, leaving Sophie and Jewel standing…

  Chapter Three

  Sophie had read about robbers in her favorite book of…

  Chapter Four

  The house looked as if no one had lived there…

  Chapter Five

  “Why didn’t you tell me your uncle was Galloping Jim?”…

  Chapter Six

  Sophie saddled up Jewel and rode back down the brambly…

  Chapter Seven

  Constable Joy mounted his sturdy brown and white horse. They…

  Chapter Eight

  Sophie loved driving Lady Amelia’s carriage! Jewel was brilliant at…

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Chapter One

  “Got it!” Sophie waved her long bamboo pole. It had a yellow plastic duck swinging madly on the hook at the end.

  “Well done!” said her mom.

  Sophie’s dad unhooked the duck and handed it to the woman standing on the other side of the inflatable pool. Lots of bright yellow ducks bobbed on the water, waiting to be hooked. The woman smiled at Sophie and told her to choose a prize.

  Sophie picked a key ring in the shape of a pretty jet-black pony with a tiny white dot on its forehead. She loved ponies more than anything else in the world! “Thank you!” she said to the woman in charge.

  Beside her, there was a crash as Sophie’s little sister Molly threw down her bamboo pole. “This is a stupid game!” Molly grumbled. “I can’t hook any of the ducks. They keep swimming away!”

  Sophie sighed. Molly was only four, and she got very annoyed when she couldn’t do everything Sophie did.

  “Let’s go and find something else,” said their dad. He took Sophie and Molly by the hands and they wandered farther into the fair. It was very busy, and Sophie held tightly to her dad’s hand. She put her other hand in her pocket to check if her pony key ring was still there. The little jet-black pony felt warm and smooth underneath her fingers.

  There were rides and games everywhere! Sophie thought she’d never be able to decide what to go on next. Her mom pointed to a stall where you had to kick a soccer ball into a goal to win prizes. But Sophie didn’t think she could win a better prize than her pony key ring, so she shook her head.

  Just then, she spotted a pointy golden roof peeping out from behind the soccer ball game. Tugging her dad’s hand, she led him over.

  “Look!” Sophie cried. “It’s a pony carousel!” It was the prettiest fairground ride she had ever seen. The wooden ponies were really lifelike, their eyes twinkling and their tails floating out behind them.

  “Would you like to have a turn?” asked Sophie’s mom.

  “Yes, please!” Sophie said. There was nothing she wanted more than to ride on the carousel, holding one of the twisty golden poles.

  But Molly had spotted something else. “I want to go on the giant teacups!” she said, pointing.

  Sophie stared at her sister in surprise. How could giant spinning teacups be better than the beautiful pony carousel? Molly started to drag their dad toward the teacups. Now Sophie wouldn’t be able to go on the carousel!

  Her mom bent down and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Shall we stay here while your dad takes Molly on the teacups?” she said. Sophie nodded eagerly.

  She walked to the bottom of the steps leading up to the carousel. There were so many ponies! There was a stocky white pony, with a stiff mane and bells and ribbons on his harness—the kind of pony Sophie had seen pulling sleighs in pictures. Then she spotted a handsome bay pony with brave brown eyes and a tail that flowed all the way down to the floor. He had an old-fashioned saddle as though he was a medieval knight’s pony.

  Then Sophie gasped out loud. One of the ponies looked exactly like her key ring! He was jet-black—the color of a dark, velvety night—and he had a perfect diamond of white on his forehead. When Sophie peered closer, she saw a little name scroll hanging from the golden pole on his back. It read Jewel! It was the perfect name for such a beautiful pony.

  Someone coughed politely close by, making Sophie jump. A tall gentleman was standing behind her. He was grandly dressed in a red velvet suit and a red-and-green-striped top hat. He bowed to Sophie, sweeping the hat from his head.

  “Welcome to Barker’s Magic Pony Carousel!” he declared. His blue eyes twinkled. “My name is Mr. Barker.”

  Sophie stared at him. “Did you just say Magic Pony Carousel?” she said.

  Mr. Barker grinned. “Oh yes! Most definitely magic. Would you like a ride on the carousel?”

  “I’d love one!” Sophie gasped.

  “Well, I have just a few tickets left for the next ride,” he said. He reached into his pocket and took out some tiny pieces of pink paper. “The name of your pony is written on the ticket you choose, Sophie. Think hard about which pony you’d like it to be!” Mr. Barker held out the tickets to Sophie, along with a magnifying glass. “Pick one! And have a look at it with the magnifying glass. The writing can be a little hard to read sometimes,” he explained.

  Sophie thought hard about the midnight-black pony that looked like her key ring. Then, with trembling fingers she chose one of the little pink tickets. She lifted the magnifying glass and peered at the tiny piece of paper. The swirly writing was hard to read—but it definitely said Jewel.

  “It’s Jewel!” she told him excitedly.

  “Ah! That’s a very special pony.” Mr. Barker beamed. “Now, quickly, on you get. We’re ready to start. Climb aboard, everyone! All aboard the Magic Pony Carousel!”

  Sophie ran up the steps and wove her way through the other wooden ponies until she reached Jewel. “I’m so glad your name was on my ticket!” she whispered, stroking the white diamond on his forehead. The painted wood felt silky under her fingers. Jewel’s dark eyes seemed to look straight into hers, as though he was glad, too. Sophie gave him a quick kiss on the nose, then climbed into the saddle.

  Mr. Barker checked that everyone was on his or her pony before he twirled a big golden handle to start the carousel. There was a grating noise, then music rang out, and Sophie felt Jewel soar into the air as the carousel moved off. She gripped the golden pole tightly and waved to her mom as she whirled past her. The fairground slipped by in a blur of silvery-lilac light, the tinkling music filled Sophie’s ears, and the crowds seemed to fade away.

  Sophie blinked. The other girls on their wooden ponies had vanished, too, and she and Jewel were galloping through swirls of sparkling mist. The sunlight dimmed until they were surrounded by velvety black shadows….

  Suddenly, Sophie knew they weren’t in the fairground anymore!

  Chapter Two

  The sparkly mist cleared away, leaving Sophie and Jewel standing alone at a crossroads on a grassy heath. There was just one house in the distance, with a dim light burning in the window. From somewhere far away, Sophie could hear a church clock striking—ten, eleven, twelve strokes. It was midnight! Sophie looked around, feeling utterly bewildered. A minute ago she’d been at a noisy, colorful fairground—and now she was in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night! She patted Jewel’s wooden neck for comfort.

  To her amazement, he snorted and shook his head. Jewel wasn’t wooden at all! He was a real pony. Sophie stroked his thick, warm mane, and he reached his head around to nuzzle at her han
d.

  “What’s going on?” Sophie breathed. “Where are we?”

  As her eyes got used to the darkness, she realized she was no longer wearing her favorite jeans with the sequined butterflies and her pink T-shirt. Instead, she was dressed in shiny black satin breeches, soft leather riding boots, and a white shirt with ruffles on the collar and cuffs. Hanging from her shoulders was a magnificent black velvet cloak lined with purple silk. Sophie wriggled her feet in the close-fitting boots. She felt dressed for adventure!

  A flash of white among the trees by the road caught her eye, and she walked Jewel over to see what it was. Jewel didn’t seem very happy about walking anywhere. Sophie could feel him trembling beneath her, and his bit jangled as he nervously tossed his head. “Hey, boy,” Sophie murmured, patting his neck again. “It’s okay, we’re just going to look at that piece of paper.” Sophie had ridden nervous ponies before, and she knew she had to take everything very slowly and not force Jewel on when he was frightened.

  The flash of white turned out to be a poster nailed to the tree. Sophie edged Jewel really close so she could read it. Maybe it would help her work out where she was!

  REWARD

  HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?

  Sophie gasped. It was a wanted poster! Sophie eased it off its nail so she could read it better in the moonlight. Below the heavy black letters was a drawing of a scary-looking man, with thick black eyebrows and an ugly scar down the side of his face. Next to his picture were some drawings of jewelry, including a beautiful golden locket with a pattern of roses. More writing explained that the locket had been stolen from the Earl of Sussex. It contained tiny paintings of the earl and his wife.

  At the very bottom of the poster was a message:

  LARGE REWARD IN RETURN FOR INFORMATION

  ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF

  THE VILLAINOUS ROBBER GALLOPING JIM.

  REWARD ALSO OFFERED FOR THE RETURN

  OF A PRICELESS LOCKET

  STOLEN FROM THE EARL OF SUSSEX.

  Sophie shuddered. “I wouldn’t like to meet Galloping Jim tonight,” she said out loud, hooking the poster back on its nail.

  “Me neither,” someone replied.

  Sophie nearly jumped out of the saddle in shock. Who said that? She looked around, thinking someone must have crept up behind them, but she was still on her own.

  On her own, that is, except for Jewel.

  Sophie frowned. Then she leaned forward and whispered in Jewel’s ear, “Was that you?”

  Jewel nodded.

  Sophie sat back up quickly. “But ponies can’t talk! What’s happening?”

  Jewel tossed his mane. “Didn’t Mr. Barker tell you it was a Magic Pony Carousel?” he said. “All ponies can talk, but most people don’t know how to listen. The carousel’s magic ticket means you can understand me. Anyone else would just think I was whinnying.”

  Sophie felt a bubble of excitement growing inside her. “I knew there was something special about that pony carousel!” she said.

  “The carousel has brought us here to help someone,” Jewel explained. “But don’t worry—the magic will take us back before your mom notices you’ve gone.”

  “Who are we meant to help?” Sophie looked around. “There’s no one else here!”

  Jewel snorted. “I’m not sure, exactly. But we’ll know when we find the right person. I just wish it wasn’t so dark,” he muttered. “Why do we have to have an adventure in the middle of the night?”

  “Don’t be scared, Jewel,” said Sophie. She reached forward and rubbed the soft bit of hair behind his ears.

  Jewel stretched out his neck. “Ooh, that feels nice. A little higher…Wait! What’s that?”

  A rattling, thudding noise was coming from farther along the road. Sophie held the reins tightly to stop Jewel from running away.

  The noise grew louder and louder until an old-fashioned coach burst out of the shadows, pulled by four magnificent gray horses. Their harnesses jingled and their tails streamed out behind them as they galloped along.

  “We’d better get out of the way,” Jewel said nervously, and he stepped into the shadow of the trees.

  The coach was going so fast that the lanterns hanging on each corner swung wildly from side to side. Peering forward, Sophie could see the passengers inside hanging on for dear life. The coach didn’t look a comfy ride on such a stony, rutted track.

  As the coach drew level with Sophie and Jewel, a chestnut pony shot out from behind some trees on the other side of the road. A girl the same age as Sophie was urging the pony on as fast as she could.

  Sophie stared at her in surprise. “She came out of nowhere!” she said to Jewel. “Do you think she wants to get on the coach?”

  “I don’t think so!” Jewel hissed back. “Watch!”

  “Stand and deliver!” the girl called faintly, and her pony reared and neighed.

  But the driver was going too fast to notice the girl and the pony lurking in the shadows. The coach just sped on, its wooden wheels bouncing over the stones.

  As the coach and its passengers rattled safely away, Sophie got a chance to look at the girl properly. She looked almost ghostly in the moonlight, with her pale face and mass of brown curls. She had a dark, three-pointed hat pulled low over her face, and she was wearing a flowing cloak, similar to Sophie’s—and as she turned her pony, Sophie spotted a black satin mask across her eyes.

  She was a robber!

  Chapter Three

  Sophie had read about robbers in her favorite book of horse stories, but she’d never heard of a girl being one!

  Suddenly an owl hooted, and Jewel leaped sideways in surprise. Sophie tried to keep him still, but it was too late. His hooves clattered on the stony ground, and the robber looked around sharply.

  “Who’s there?” she called.

  Sophie gasped. “Jewel, what should we do?” she whispered.

  “I don’t think we can run away,” he whispered back. “She knows we’re here now.” With a snort, he stepped out of the shadows. Sophie felt very proud of him for being so brave.

  The robber rode over to them. “Who are you?” she demanded.

  “We’re…er…travelers,” Sophie stammered.

  Suddenly, to Sophie’s astonishment, the girl laughed. “I missed it again, didn’t I?” she said.

  Sophie nodded, still too startled to speak.

  The girl grinned. “Never mind! I was watching an owl in the wood, and I lost track of time. Not that I wanted to stop the coach anyway. They’ll all get home safe, with their money and jewels.”

  Sophie felt very confused. “You didn’t want to stop the coach?”

  The girl sighed. “I was supposed to stop it and steal the passengers’ money. But I’m no good at it. I must be the worst robber ever.” She smiled at Sophie. “I’m Lucy, by the way. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Sophie, and this is Jewel.”

  “Hello, Jewel.” Lucy leaned forward to stroke Jewel’s white diamond. Suddenly she stopped and looked anxious. “You won’t report me, will you, Sophie? If you went to the parish constable, I would get into terrible trouble.”

  Sophie guessed that the parish constable was a bit like the police. Her granddad was a policeman. He had told her that the police had started almost two hundred years ago, when people decided to take care of law and order in their individual villages. She and Jewel must have traveled back in time over two hundred years!

  Lucy was still looking very worried. Sophie shook her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Besides, I don’t think you can get into much trouble for not stopping a coach!”

  Lucy grinned again, her teeth flashing white in the shadows. “I suppose not. I’d better get home now. Where are you staying?”

  “I don’t know,” Sophie admitted. It was chilly, and the dark heath was a bit spooky for camping out. Jewel stamped his hoof, as though he didn’t fancy a night outside either.

  Lucy looked at her hopefully. “Well, why don’t you come and stay at
my uncle’s house?”

  Sophie hesitated. She ran her fingers through Jewel’s mane, trying to think. Could she trust Lucy? She seemed nice, but she dressed like a robber, even if she didn’t really want to rob coaches….

  “Please come!” said Lucy. “My uncle will be out playing cards, and there isn’t anyone else to keep me company. It would be so nice to have someone to talk to.”

  Sophie was very tempted, but she needed to ask Jewel first. “Hold on a minute—I, er, I need to check Jewel’s girths,” she said. “His saddle feels a bit loose.” She wheeled Jewel around. They walked a little way and Sophie dismounted so she could talk to Jewel while she pretended to tighten his girths.

  “What do you think, Jewel? Lucy seems really nice, and we don’t have anywhere else to stay.”

  Jewel nodded. “You’re right. I hope there’s a nice warm stable for me! And maybe when we get to Lucy’s house, we’ll find whoever it is we need to help.”

  Sophie led him back to where Lucy was waiting. “We’d love to stay with you, thank you,” she said.

  Lucy jumped off her pony and gave Sophie a hug. “Oh, I’m so glad! You can share my room, and Jewel can go in the stable with Brown Bess.” She stroked her pony’s mane, and Bess snorted happily. She was a big chestnut pony with a pretty, intelligent face. She seemed friendly, too, as she stretched her nose forward to nuzzle Jewel.

  They climbed back onto their ponies, and Lucy led the way, deeper into the trees. Jewel shivered as the shadows swallowed them up.

  Sophie patted his neck. “Not long now, Jewel.”

  After a while, Lucy slowed down and twisted around in the saddle to look at Sophie. “We’re nearly there, but the path’s really narrow and there are lots of brambles, so watch out.”