don’t even carry a whip on Moth, you know that!”
“It wasn’t funny!” said Katy, furious with James.
We took them all behind Bambi’s, Drummer’s, and Moth’s stables. Unfortunately, there was a lot of grass growing there.
“Oooh, this is the sort of telling off I like!” cried Drum, dropping his head to graze. Tiffany and Bluey followed his lead, only Moth stood all polite as usual, waiting for James to tell her it was all right to do the same.
I hauled Drummer’s head up. “Now look, you guys,” I began, “we know you’re not making any effort with this Sublime Equine Challenge.”
“That’s not fair!” wailed Bluey.
“Oh, sorry, Bluey,” I said. “I know you are. You’re the exception. Your friends here are deliberately sabotaging any effort to qualify in an effort to cut down on work.”
“Are you?” asked Bluey, in wide-eyed amazement. He is such an honest pony.
“Oh, come on,” said Drummer, defensively. “I was dressed up to look like the village idiot. No wonder I’m not excited.”
“I wore the noseband under duress, and I take exception to your accusations,” Tiffany said huffily. “Is that a…oh, no, it’s just an old bucket!” she added, her indignation in ruins.
“Yes, you did,” I agreed. “But I heard you talking with Bambi. You can’t deny it!”
“What’s she saying?” said Bean.
Moth said nothing. As usual. I couldn’t give Epona to James with Bean and Katy there. He would have to get her feedback later.
“How could you not try?” asked Bluey, looking crestfallen. “I jumped my heart out for the team.”
Tiffany shifted her hooves, and Drummer looked into the distance. Then Tiffany grunted and spoke.
“Actually,” she said huffily, “Drum and I think we’re being taken for granted.”
“What do you mean?” I said baffled.
“What are they saying?” Bean asked again.
“That’s right,” interrupted Drummer. “You want us to do these things, but do we hear any word of thanks? Any praise? No! It’s just complain, complain, complain. Katy’s always appreciative of Bluey’s hard work, and you can see the result for yourselves.”
I was stunned.
“What’s the news?” James said. “Come on, Pia, tell us!”
“Er…” I didn’t know where to start. A very uncomfortable feeling grew in my stomach. It got worse and worse. Drum was right, I hadn’t given him any encouragement at all—I had just grumbled and complained all the time. I felt really ashamed. I took a deep breath.
“It’s our fault,” I told the others.
“Ours? How?” Bean asked.
“Why?” said James.
“They say they never get any thanks for their efforts, that we don’t appreciate them. We just whine.”
There was a stunned silence.
“Oh, Bluey, I’m sorry!” said Katy, throwing her arms around his neck and smothering him with kisses.
“Actually, Katy, the ponies say you’re the only one who’s OK. And you are.”
“You are really nice to Bluey,” added Bean thoughtfully. “And positive.”
“Looks like it’s up to us to change things,” said James.
“I’m so sorry, Tiff,” said Bean, stroking Tiffany’s golden neck. “I promise I’ll be more like Katy.”
“That will be nice,” sniffed Tiffany. “I’ll try harder, too—even with the noseband if I have to.”
“She’s going all out next time,” I assured Bean.
“Oh, good girl, have all the grass you want!” cried Bean, patting Tiffany’s neck like mad. I turned to Drummer.
“I’m really sorry, Drum. You’re right, and I’ve been totally in the wrong. Can we start again?”
Drummer looked at Bluey and Tiffany, and then me. He gave a huge sigh. “Oh, OK, I’ll be magnificent next time,” he said. “I’ll perform like Trigger, or Champion the Wonder Horse. I’ll be so amazing; I’ll be nominated for an Oscar. Now can I get my head down before that greedy Tiffany eats all this grass?”
“Go to town!” I told him.
When the grass looked like a flock of
“It wasn’t funny!” said Katy, furious with James.
We took them all behind Bambi’s, Drummer’s, and Moth’s stables. Unfortunately, there was a lot of grass growing there.
“Oooh, this is the sort of telling off I like!” cried Drum, dropping his head to graze. Tiffany and Bluey followed his lead, only Moth stood all polite as usual, waiting for James to tell her it was all right to do the same.
I hauled Drummer’s head up. “Now look, you guys,” I began, “we know you’re not making any effort with this Sublime Equine Challenge.”
“That’s not fair!” wailed Bluey.
“Oh, sorry, Bluey,” I said. “I know you are. You’re the exception. Your friends here are deliberately sabotaging any effort to qualify in an effort to cut down on work.”
“Are you?” asked Bluey, in wide-eyed amazement. He is such an honest pony.
“Oh, come on,” said Drummer, defensively. “I was dressed up to look like the village idiot. No wonder I’m not excited.”
“I wore the noseband under duress, and I take exception to your accusations,” Tiffany said huffily. “Is that a…oh, no, it’s just an old bucket!” she added, her indignation in ruins.
“Yes, you did,” I agreed. “But I heard you talking with Bambi. You can’t deny it!”
“What’s she saying?” said Bean.
Moth said nothing. As usual. I couldn’t give Epona to James with Bean and Katy there. He would have to get her feedback later.
“How could you not try?” asked Bluey, looking crestfallen. “I jumped my heart out for the team.”
Tiffany shifted her hooves, and Drummer looked into the distance. Then Tiffany grunted and spoke.
“Actually,” she said huffily, “Drum and I think we’re being taken for granted.”
“What do you mean?” I said baffled.
“What are they saying?” Bean asked again.
“That’s right,” interrupted Drummer. “You want us to do these things, but do we hear any word of thanks? Any praise? No! It’s just complain, complain, complain. Katy’s always appreciative of Bluey’s hard work, and you can see the result for yourselves.”
I was stunned.
“What’s the news?” James said. “Come on, Pia, tell us!”
“Er…” I didn’t know where to start. A very uncomfortable feeling grew in my stomach. It got worse and worse. Drum was right, I hadn’t given him any encouragement at all—I had just grumbled and complained all the time. I felt really ashamed. I took a deep breath.
“It’s our fault,” I told the others.
“Ours? How?” Bean asked.
“Why?” said James.
“They say they never get any thanks for their efforts, that we don’t appreciate them. We just whine.”
There was a stunned silence.
“Oh, Bluey, I’m sorry!” said Katy, throwing her arms around his neck and smothering him with kisses.
“Actually, Katy, the ponies say you’re the only one who’s OK. And you are.”
“You are really nice to Bluey,” added Bean thoughtfully. “And positive.”
“Looks like it’s up to us to change things,” said James.
“I’m so sorry, Tiff,” said Bean, stroking Tiffany’s golden neck. “I promise I’ll be more like Katy.”
“That will be nice,” sniffed Tiffany. “I’ll try harder, too—even with the noseband if I have to.”
“She’s going all out next time,” I assured Bean.
“Oh, good girl, have all the grass you want!” cried Bean, patting Tiffany’s neck like mad. I turned to Drummer.
“I’m really sorry, Drum. You’re right, and I’ve been totally in the wrong. Can we start again?”
Drummer looked at Bluey and Tiffany, and then me. He gave a huge sigh. “Oh, OK, I’ll be magnificent next time,” he said. “I’ll perform like Trigger, or Champion the Wonder Horse. I’ll be so amazing; I’ll be nominated for an Oscar. Now can I get my head down before that greedy Tiffany eats all this grass?”
“Go to town!” I told him.
When the grass looked like a flock of
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