Paddywack Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Contents

  First Page

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2010 by Stephanie Spinner

  Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Daniel Howarth

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  Step into Reading, Random House, and the Random House colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  Visit us on the Web!

  www.stepintoreading.com

  Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at

  www.randomhouse.com/teachers

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Spinner, Stephanie.

  Paddywack / by Stephanie Spinner ; illustrated by Daniel Howarth. — 1st ed.

  p. cm. — (Step into reading. Step 3 book)

  Summary: Paddywack is a spunky pony who jumps, trots, and walks beautifully, as long as his rider remembers his treats.

  ISBN 978-0-375-86186-4 (pbk.) — eISBN: 978-0-307-77156-8

  [1. Ponies—Fiction. 2. Ponies—Training—Fiction.] I. Howarth, Daniel, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.S7567Pad 2010 [Fic]—dc22 2009005040

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

  v3.1

  For Paddywack and his Jane

  —S.S.

  For Carole … always there

  whenever we need you. Thank you.

  —D.H.

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  First Page

  My name is Paddywack.

  I am nine hands high.

  That is a very good size

  for a pony like me.

  I am just the right size

  for my girl, Jane.

  When I first got Jane,

  she did not know how to ride.

  She jerked my reins.

  She fell off me

  for no good reason.

  Worst of all,

  she forgot my treats.

  “She has a lot to learn,”

  I told my friend Carol.

  “You’ll teach her,” said Carol.

  Carol is one smart cat.

  I was not Jane’s only teacher.

  Miss Lolly helped.

  She said the words “Focus, Jane!

  Heels down, down, down!”

  I did the rest—

  a steady walk,

  a smooth trot,

  a gentle canter.

  Jane’s riding got better.

  “She’s starting to feel like a girl,”

  I told Carol. “Not a sack of carrots.”

  “Is that because she’s a better rider?”

  asked Carol.

  “Or because she’s giving you

  treats?”

  Carol knows me very well.

  One sunny day,

  Jane was ready

  to start jumping.

  Miss Lolly set up the cross-rails.

  Jumping is hard work.

  After our first lesson,

  I waited for my treat.

  But Jane forgot it.

  “I do not forget how to walk

  or trot or jump,” I told Carol later.

  “How could she forget my treat?”

  Carol licked her paws.

  “Maybe you can remind her,” she said.

  Maybe I could.

  The next day,

  we jumped some more.

  Jane did not stay on me very well.

  She was not happy.

  Neither was Miss Lolly.

  Jane forgot my treats.

  She also forgot to close my stall door.

  I decided to go for a walk.

  The chickens got in my way,

  so I chased them.

  I went swimming in the pond.

  I scared the frogs.

  The garden was full of tasty nibbles.

  I jumped over the fence

  to eat them all.

  Jane found me there.

  “Paddywack!” she cried.

  “What are you doing?”

  Silly question! I thought,

  and I ran away.

  Jane ran after me—

  out of the garden,

  past the chicken coop,

  and around the pond.

  Jane could not catch me.

  But Miss Lolly could.

  That was the end of my walk.

  “Paddywack, you are

  a very naughty pony!” she said.

  “And you,” she told Jane,

  “are a forgetful girl.

  You must always remember

  to close Paddy’s stall.”

  A little later, Jane came to my stall.

  “Paddywack,” she said,

  “I saw you jump the garden fence.

  Your jump was perfect.

  It was much better

  than the jumps you do for me.”

  There are reasons for that,

  I thought.

  “Let’s make a deal,”

  said Jane.

  My ears wiggled.

  I was listening.

  “Please jump for me

  the way you jumped

  the garden fence,” said Jane.

  “If you do, I will give you

  this many treats every time.”

  She held out three treats.

  I ate them fast.

  Then I gave a little whuffle.

  It was a deal.

  The next day,

  Jane and I jumped and jumped.

  Each jump was perfect.

  “Fantastic!” cried Miss Lolly.

  Jane gave me all my treats.

  The jumps got higher.

  We worked hard.

  Jane gave me treats every day.

  I was proud of her.

  Early one morning,

  Jane groomed me for a long time.

  She polished my hooves.

  She braided my mane.

  She and Miss Lolly

  led me into the van.

  Where were we going?

  We got out in a big field.

  There were horses and ponies

  and trailers all around us.

  We were at a horse show!

  I saw lots of old friends.

  We whinnied and snuffled

  and pranced for each other.

  Then Jane rode me to the ring.

  Our first class was Walk-Trot.

  Easy, I thought.

  But it wasn’t easy for Jane.

  She held her crop upside down.

  She lost a stirrup.

  She dropped the reins.

  There were five of us in the class.

  We came in fifth.

  Next was Walk-Trot-Canter.

  Jane can do this, I thought.

  But I was wrong.

  There were six in the class.

  We came in sixth.

  Cross-rails were next.

  Miss Lolly patted Jane’s shoulder.

  “You and Paddy can show off

  your jumping,” she said.

  Good! I thought.

  Lots of treats!

  Jane looked unhappy.

  She whispered in Miss Lolly’s ear.

  “Really!” said Miss Lolly, frowning.

  “You’d better have a talk with him.”

  Jane led me away from the ring.

  “Paddywack,” she said,

  “I have something to tell you.

  I—I forgot your treats.”

  What? My ears went back.

  I couldn’t believe it!

  “I know we had a deal,” said Jane.

  “But … I messed up.”

  She hung her head.

  “I wouldn’t blame you

  if you dumped me

  right in front of the judges,” she said.

  Now, there’s an idea! I thought.

  Miss Lolly hurried over.

  The jumping class was starting.

  “Jump the way you jumped

  the garden fence,” begged Jane.

  “Please, Paddy!”

  I am a pony with a good heart.

  I decided to help Jane.

  When the judge called, “Walk,”

  I moved evenly

  so Jane could sit up tall.

  When she called, “Trot!”

  my trot was as smooth as ribbon silk.

  Then came the cross-rail.

  I pretended I was jumping

  the garden fence.

  Jane kept her head up

  and her heels down.

  We were perfect.

  Miss Lolly gave us a thumbs-up.

  So did the judge.

  When we got home,

  Jane gave me more treats

  than I could count.

  Then she brushed me

  and kissed me

  and rubbed my nose.

  “Paddywack,” she said,

  “you are the best pony in the world.

  I will never, ever

  forget your treats again.”

  And she didn’t.

  enter>

 

  Stephanie Spinner, Paddywack

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