The Painted Ponies of Partequineus and The Summer of the Kittens by Peter H. Riddle Read Free Book Online

“They must have wondered what happened to her.”
    â€œYou still don’t understand,” Grace said. “Where Janie’s mother and father are, it’s still two hundred years ago. If we can only figure out a way to break the dragon’s spell, she’ll go right back to where she came from - to when she came from - and live out the rest of her life there. Her parents will never even know she’s been gone.”
    â€œThat’s amazing!” Vanessa turned to Christina. “And would all the rest of you go back to your own times and places in the real world, too?”
    â€œThat’s right,” Christina said. “But the dragon won’t let us.”
    They reached the end of the beach, where the sand gave way to rocks and steep cliffs. The ponies turned away from the water and moved inland. They could see the desert ahead of them, glowing a bright and ominous yellow in the sunlight. Vanessa shivered, remembering the giant black cloud that was Guaryntis, trying to capture her and keep her in Partequineus forever. But she also noticed that the big green forest of Paximus, where Princess Melisande lived, was much, much closer than when they were back in the meadow.
    â€œHow did Guaryntis become a dragon?” Vanessa asked.
    â€œJanie says it happened gradually over many years. He had broken his promise to let her go home because he was selfish. He was afraid that if Janie left him, Partequineus would wither and fade away, and become drab and lifeless like before. But when people become selfish, something inside them changes. They grow to be mean and cruel. That’s what happened to Guaryntis, except he changed on the outside, too. He became a dragon.”
    â€œWhy does Guaryntis turn you into ponies only at night?” she asked Christina, “and the boys into ponies only during the day?”
    â€œWe’re not exactly sure,” Christina said, “but I think it’s because if every one of us tried to gallop across the desert at once, it would be too hard for him to stop us all. If even one should ever reach Princess Melisande’s forest, all of the rest of us will be set free, too. She told us so.”
    â€œThen we have to do it!” Vanessa exclaimed. “We have to figure out a way for all of you to cross the desert at one time, and confuse the dragon so much that somebody will make it through. I’ll help you.”
    â€œIt’s too dangerous,” Christina said. “The dragon knows you don’t belong here in Partequineus. If he sees you trying to help us, he’ll go after you first, and you’ll have to stay here forever.”
    â€œI don’t care!” Vanessa said. “There isn’t any other way to break the spell.”

SEVENTEEN
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    The sun dropped low in the sky, and the ponies turned around and headed back, anticipating the rise of the three moons and the time when the changes would take place again. One of them was lagging behind, the pony that Alyssa was riding. He strayed close to the edge of the desert.
    That pony’s name was Steven when he was a boy, and he was fearless and courageous, as brave as Alexander. He looked up at the dying sun, then turned his gaze toward the distant forest. It’s getting dark , pony-Steven thought to himself. And it’s a much shorter distance to the forest from here. If I run, just before the sun sets, maybe Guaryntis won’t notice me until it’s too late for him to stop me .
    He looked around at the others, who had moved off up the beach. Seated in the saddle, Alyssa was growing impatient. “Hurry up,” she said. “Everyone is leaving us behind.” She tapped Steven’s flanks with her heels.
    Steven reared up, as if about to run off after the others. But instead he wheeled around and plunged into the desert, the yellow sand flying from his four pounding hooves. He lowered his head and poured all his strength into a headlong