The next Sunday, Maggie's family went to St. Paul to visit Tim and Jodi's family. Tim and Jodi had lots of new things to show Maggie, but they also wanted to hear about the horses.
"I ride Molly whenever I want now," said Maggie.
"Boy, are you lucky," said Jodi.
Maggie nodded and added softly, "I even ride Molly in the pasture, but Mom and Dad don't know about it. Mom would have a fit if she knew."
"Wow!" said Tim. "How do you get on?"
"I crawled up on a gate and jumped on."
"Awesome," Jodi and Tim said in unison.
Tim asked, "Can I ride in the pasture when we come out next time?"
Maggie had to think about that. She was afraid Tim would be reckless, but he never ever seemed to get hurt.
"Okay," she said. "When can you come?"
"Maybe next Wednesday," said Tim. "I'll start begging tomorrow."
* * * * *
At breakfast on Monday morning Dad said, "I should bale the rest of the straw today, but first I have to fix fence. I don't want the cows in the corn again."
Mom looked at him with her arms crossed. She said, "I noticed you used the tractor for the straw bales."
Dad scowled and said, "Well, I'll use the horses for the fencing." Then he jammed his hat on his head and headed for the door. "Maggie, please come and help."
Maggie went with her father, and they caught the horses. She could tell Dad was in a bad mood because he slammed the harnesses on the horses' backs.
When they were ready, Dad led them to the wagon. He had Maggie hold the horses while he walked around to hook up. "Doggone it," he growled. "I'm missing a trace chain. I'll be right back."
Dad went into the barn, and Maggie stood between the two huge horses, holding them still. Dad seemed to take forever, and Maggie's mind began to wander.
Suddenly Dad burst through a door just behind the team. A bunch of fence posts swung crazily in his arms.
Polly leaped forward, knocking Maggie to the ground. "Owww," she wailed as her ankle bent under her. She had to scramble to avoid being run over.
Molly stood her ground, and since the horses were hooked together, Polly couldn't go far. But Maggie's ankle HURT.
Dad dropped the fence posts and caught the horses. He tied them up and ran over to Maggie. "Oh, I'm SO sorry, Maggie," he said. "I never thought about the fence posts scaring those silly horses. How bad is it?"
Maggie rolled back and forth on the ground holding her throbbing ankle.
Dad picked her up and started toward the house. "Betty, Betty," he yelled as they neared the back door. "Get some ice. The horses stepped on Maggie."
Mom met them saying, "Oh, no, those darned horses again. I knew someone would get hurt." She bent over Maggie's ankle.
Mom put ice on the ankle and gave Maggie a pill for the pain. At first her parents discussed taking Maggie to the hospital, but it didn't seem to be broken.
When Maggie was resting on the couch, Dad said, "Betty, I think you're right about those horses. I'll see if Larry still wants to buy them."
"No," said Maggie. "I love Molly."
Mom lips made a tight line. She said, "Maggie, those horses are too dangerous and too expensive. The sooner we get rid of them the better."
By Wednesday Maggie's ankle was almost back to normal. She was out feeding calves when Tim and Jodi's car drove in.
They ran over, and Jodi pointed at Maggie's purple ankle. "What happened?" she asked.
"The horses knocked me down," Maggie said with a sigh. "And now Dad's going to sell them."
"But Molly is your friend," said Tim.
"Yes," said Maggie, "but Mom never wanted Dad to buy them. When I got hurt, he said he would sell them."
"How soon will they go?" Tim wondered.
"Soon," said Maggie. "Mr. Croon already said he wants to buy them."
"Then we have to ride Molly today," Tim whispered.
"Children!" Tim's mom called. She and Maggie's mom looked excited. "Aunt Betty says the blackberries are ripe. Let's all go pick some for supper."
Maggie looked at Tim and made a face. Normally she liked to pick blackberries, but not today.
"Do we have to?" asked Tim. "Maggie said her ankle hurts." Maggie wondered what he was talking about. He added, "And you know how whiny Jodi can get."
"I don't whine," Jodi protested. But then she caught on to what Tim had in mind. "Well," she added, "maybe I would with the mosquitoes and sticker bushes and all."
"Why don't you two go by yourselves?" said Maggie.
Aunt Jane frowned. "We can't leave you kids alone for the whole day."
"Uncle Fred can watch us," said Tim.
"Sure," Maggie agreed. "He said he's going to be greasing machinery in the machine shed today."
"Well ..." said Aunt Jane. "... maybe that would be okay. But you kids stay close to home. Do you hear?"
Three heads nodded solemnly. She didn't say how close, thought Maggie.
So the women set off for the woods with their berry buckets looking very happy. The minute they were out of sight Maggie gave Tim a pat on the back.
"Good work," she said. "That bit about my leg was really smart. Just let me lock Corky in the house, and we can get going."
They slipped into the barn by the back door so Maggie's dad wouldn't see them. Tim took Molly's bridle, and Maggie filled her pockets with oats. Then they cut through the cornfield instead of going up the lane in plain sight.
"How's your ankle?" asked Tim as they hurried through the tall green stalks.
"I'll be fine," she assured him.
At first the horses seemed to be hiding. They weren't in the meadow or under the oak tree. They weren't in the brushy spot along the south fence row. That meant they were probably in the small trees next to the neighbor's wood lot. But where?
Maggie saw a flash of white in a thicket next to the fence and stopped.
"What the matter?" asked Jodi.
"Shh," said Maggie. "There's a cow lying in there. She's all by herself, and she could be sick or something. You guys stay here, and I'll check on her."
Maggie crept forward until she could see the cow more clearly.
"Is she okay?" Tim whispered from right behind Maggie. Jodi was right behind him.
Maggie turned and scowled at them. "You were supposed to stay back there," she said crossly.
Tim shrugged, and Maggie looked back at the cow. It was Splash, one of their best milkers. Maggie wondered why she was here all by herself. Cows usually liked to stay together.
Then the answer was clear. A pair of tiny ears and a darling little white nose appeared from behind the resting cow. Splash had a new calf.
Maggie turned to tell Tim and Jodi, but then she froze. Corky was bouncing toward them. In a flash, Maggie remembered other mother cows charging after dogs. She and her cousins were in the way. They could get trampled.
"Get back!" she shouted.
Sure enough, as Corky got closer, he began to bark. Splash lurched to her feet, and swung her head from side to side searching for the danger.
"Run!" yelled Maggie, pushing her cousins back. "Run to the fence."
The three kids sprinted toward the fence as Corky barked with delight. He nipped at the cow's nose, and she charged at him.
"Yip!" Corky cried. He put his head between his legs, raced after the children, and passed them.
Splash crashed out of the brush toward the dog and the children. The fence wasn't far away. They just might make it.
But just then Maggie's bad ankle gave out and she fell. She knew she'd never get up in time. The cow was coming fast. Maggie shut her eyes and prepared to be attacked.
Maggie pulled her body into a tight ball and waited for the pain. But instead she felt the ground shake and heard an unearthly squeal.
Opening her eyes, she saw Molly run full speed into Splash. Before the cow could hurt Maggie, she was shoved away. Splash stumbled and almost went down. When the cow regained her feet, she shook her head and stared at Molly. Molly stood over Maggie, and Splash went back to her calf.
Maggie shuddered. At first she was too shaky to get up, and Molly sniffed her anxiously.
"Wow," Tim exclaimed as he slid back under the fence to join Maggie. "That was like something you see on TV."
"We thought you were a goner," Jodi added.
Just then Dad arrived looking very angry. "What the heck is going on?" he demanded. "Don't you know that a cow with a calf can be dangerous?"
Maggie was so surprised to see him that she was speechless.
After catching his breath, Dad continued. "I never expected you kids to leave the yard. When I realized you were gone, I let Corky out to find you. What were you thinking?"
"Corky started all the trouble ..." Maggie began.
"Oh, no!" Dad shot back. "You kids started the trouble when you left without telling me. I am going to give you guys such a spanking."
And he did. When Mom and Aunt Jane got home, the kids were standing in different corners of the kitchen with tear-stained faces.
"Mom," wailed Jodi. "Uncle Fred spanked us."
"Why would he do that?" Aunt Jane asked, looking upset.
"Because they almost got themselves killed," said Dad. Then he explained what had happened.
Mom crossed her arms and scowled at Maggie. "I told you to stay close to home. You disobeyed me."
"I'm sorry," Maggie sniffed. "But Dad is going to sell Molly, and I wanted to ride her before she leaves."
"Ride Molly??" cried her mother. "By yourself? She already hurt your leg. She could have killed you this time."
"Molly wouldn't hurt me," said Maggie. "I sometimes ride her in the pasture." She was sorry the moment she'd said it.
"You do?" Dad shouted. "How could you be so foolish? Thank goodness Larry Croon is buying those animals. He's coming after them tomorrow."
"Good," said Mom. "The sooner the better."
"But you can't sell Molly now," Maggie protested. "She saved my life."
Dad sighed. "Yes, she did," he admitted. "But she'll be better off with Larry. He understands horses better than I do."
Tim and Jodi went home not long after that. Mom and Dad wanted to ground Maggie, but she convinced them she needed to thank Molly.
Maggie hugged Molly and said, "Thank you for being so smart and so brave. I'm sorry Dad still wants to sell you, but maybe you'll be happier with Mr. Croon."
* * * * *
Maggie told herself she wouldn't watch Molly leave, but she couldn't just stay in the house. Mom and Dad were already watching Molly climb into the truck when Maggie got there.
"Wait, please," called Maggie. "I have to give her one more hug." Molly put her head down so that Maggie could get her arms around the huge neck. Maggie even cried a little.
"Good-bye, girl, and be good," Maggie sniffed. "I'll come to see you when I can."
As Molly nuzzled Maggie's neck, Mr. Croon said, "Yes, Maggie, be sure to come and visit her."
Then it was time for Molly to go. The men closed the door of the truck and it pulled away. Maggie stood there with a big empty spot in her heart.
Finally she gave a huge sigh and turned toward the house. But she heard a motor, and a little red pickup drove into the driveway. It was Chuck.
"Sorry I'm late," he said. "Is the team gone already?"
"Yup," said Dad, "and I'm glad you're here. I can see Maggie's lonesome for horses already."
"Maggie," said Mom, "come and see what's in the pickup. I don't think you'll be disappointed in what Dad bought this time."
Maggie allowed herself to be led to the pickup. She looked in. And there was ... her pony! It was the same color as Molly, but much, much smaller.
"Oh, it's beautiful," gasped Maggie.
"Her name is Honey," said Chuck. "Because she's a honey of a little horse."
"Awesome!" said Maggie. "Wait until Tim and Jodi see her. And Kelly. Even she will want to ride a pony."
Maggie hugged her mom and dad. Then she hugged Honey and led her to the barn.