dismount !
The girls swung their legs over the ponies and landed at the same instant on the ground.
“But before we attempt this trick, we will demonstrate the quiet nature of our mounts once more, while at the same time rewarding
them for a job well done so far today!”
At that, Mary crawled behind Gypsy’s front legs and Jody behind Lady’s, and sitting cross-legged, they each grasped a front
leg of their pony in each hand, looking at their audience between the pony’s legs as if behind bars. A sugar cube was produced
from each girl’s pocket and held just beyond each pony’s reach as Mary continued:
“Now, Gypsy. Now, Lady. You may accept your rewards, and take a bow! ”
The ponies dipped their heads to take the sugar cubes held in the girls’ outstretched palms, giving the illusion of a bow
to the audience.
“Thank you, thank you!” Jody and Mary exclaimed grandly to the imaginary applause.
“Enough of this nonsense, now for the grand finale!” Mary shouted as the girls crawled from under their ponies and faced the
audience. “Watch carefully now, as we vault onto our fearless steed’s backs at the trot, and without missing a beat, retrieve
a minuscule scrap of cloth otherwise known as a handkerchief from the ground while hanging precariously by one leg! And all
with no visible means of support! Jody, the handkerchief, please!”
“The handkerchief?” Jody asked blankly.
“Yes, the handkerchief!” Mary repeated loudly. Jody searched her pockets frantically.
“The one around your neck,” Mary finally whispered from the corner of her mouth.
“Oh! Sorry,” Jody said sheepishly, untying and whisking the red bandana dramatically from her neck and handing it to Mary
with a flourish.
“Now, we will drop the handkerchief halfway down the field while avoiding the cow pies, and after a running vault which will
amaze and astound you, we will canter down and retrieve it from the ground using methods previously described!”
Jody’s heart began beating a little faster in anticipation of this, the most difficult trick in their circus repertoire. The
last time they had attempted the trick, the pickup item had been a very large burlap bag, not a very small handkerchief. But
Mary didn’t seem the least bit worried as she dropped the handkerchief in the middle of the cow pasture and trotted back to
where Jody stood with Lady. As Mary dismounted from Gypsy, Jody made her first announcement of the day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mary and Gypsy will be first!” she declared grandly.
“Oh, we will, will we?” Mary laughed. “Alrighty, then, my partner has nominated me to be the first to attempt this death-defying
demonstration of riding skill not seen since the days of the Wild West! Oh, and one more thing—do not attempt this at home!”
Mary slapped Gypsy lightly on the hindquarters, urging her into a slow trot. Trotting along beside her, Mary grasped her mane
and vaulted onto Gypsy’s back just as she began to canter.
“Mary, be careful!” Jody yelled as Mary approached the handkerchief at a brisk canter. Her breath caught in her throat as
Mary grasped Gypsy’s mane firmly in her left hand and slid off to the side, as the lower half of her left leg hooked over
the mare’s back and her free hand reached for the small scrap of red cloth.
“Yeeehaaa!” Mary screeched as she grabbed the handkerchief and twirled it in a circle above her head while Gypsy cantered
on. Then, “aaaaaghhh!” she continued, trying to right herself on Gypsy’s back but instead tumbling off into the cow pasture
in a heap. The minute Gypsy felt herself with no rider, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Mary as if to say,
“Whatever happened to you?”
“Mary! Are you OK?” Jody asked breathlessly, reaching her friend seconds later.
“Of course I’m OK!” Mary declared. “And if I hadn’t landed smack dab in the middle of this fresh cow pie, I’d be
The girls swung their legs over the ponies and landed at the same instant on the ground.
“But before we attempt this trick, we will demonstrate the quiet nature of our mounts once more, while at the same time rewarding
them for a job well done so far today!”
At that, Mary crawled behind Gypsy’s front legs and Jody behind Lady’s, and sitting cross-legged, they each grasped a front
leg of their pony in each hand, looking at their audience between the pony’s legs as if behind bars. A sugar cube was produced
from each girl’s pocket and held just beyond each pony’s reach as Mary continued:
“Now, Gypsy. Now, Lady. You may accept your rewards, and take a bow! ”
The ponies dipped their heads to take the sugar cubes held in the girls’ outstretched palms, giving the illusion of a bow
to the audience.
“Thank you, thank you!” Jody and Mary exclaimed grandly to the imaginary applause.
“Enough of this nonsense, now for the grand finale!” Mary shouted as the girls crawled from under their ponies and faced the
audience. “Watch carefully now, as we vault onto our fearless steed’s backs at the trot, and without missing a beat, retrieve
a minuscule scrap of cloth otherwise known as a handkerchief from the ground while hanging precariously by one leg! And all
with no visible means of support! Jody, the handkerchief, please!”
“The handkerchief?” Jody asked blankly.
“Yes, the handkerchief!” Mary repeated loudly. Jody searched her pockets frantically.
“The one around your neck,” Mary finally whispered from the corner of her mouth.
“Oh! Sorry,” Jody said sheepishly, untying and whisking the red bandana dramatically from her neck and handing it to Mary
with a flourish.
“Now, we will drop the handkerchief halfway down the field while avoiding the cow pies, and after a running vault which will
amaze and astound you, we will canter down and retrieve it from the ground using methods previously described!”
Jody’s heart began beating a little faster in anticipation of this, the most difficult trick in their circus repertoire. The
last time they had attempted the trick, the pickup item had been a very large burlap bag, not a very small handkerchief. But
Mary didn’t seem the least bit worried as she dropped the handkerchief in the middle of the cow pasture and trotted back to
where Jody stood with Lady. As Mary dismounted from Gypsy, Jody made her first announcement of the day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mary and Gypsy will be first!” she declared grandly.
“Oh, we will, will we?” Mary laughed. “Alrighty, then, my partner has nominated me to be the first to attempt this death-defying
demonstration of riding skill not seen since the days of the Wild West! Oh, and one more thing—do not attempt this at home!”
Mary slapped Gypsy lightly on the hindquarters, urging her into a slow trot. Trotting along beside her, Mary grasped her mane
and vaulted onto Gypsy’s back just as she began to canter.
“Mary, be careful!” Jody yelled as Mary approached the handkerchief at a brisk canter. Her breath caught in her throat as
Mary grasped Gypsy’s mane firmly in her left hand and slid off to the side, as the lower half of her left leg hooked over
the mare’s back and her free hand reached for the small scrap of red cloth.
“Yeeehaaa!” Mary screeched as she grabbed the handkerchief and twirled it in a circle above her head while Gypsy cantered
on. Then, “aaaaaghhh!” she continued, trying to right herself on Gypsy’s back but instead tumbling off into the cow pasture
in a heap. The minute Gypsy felt herself with no rider, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Mary as if to say,
“Whatever happened to you?”
“Mary! Are you OK?” Jody asked breathlessly, reaching her friend seconds later.
“Of course I’m OK!” Mary declared. “And if I hadn’t landed smack dab in the middle of this fresh cow pie, I’d be
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