The Girl and the Rescue Pony

Maya looks forward to Saturdays, when she wears her red rain boots and visits the stables at the edge of town to assist Mr. Alden. One Saturday, he assigns her a special task: a new pony named Pepper has arrived from a rescue farm and is nervous around people. Pepper, a small cream and chestnut patched pony with a shaggy forelock, stands very still in her stall as if she hopes no one will notice her. Maya decides she wants to help the pony feel safe, and her friend Rosie, with a carrot in her pocket, joins in with quiet encouragement.

What follows is a patient, step-by-step story of building trust. Mr. Alden teaches Maya to stand quietly, to hold out a flat hand, and to let Pepper come to her. Maya moves slowly, speaks softly, brushes Pepper's coat with gentle strokes, and waits each time the pony stops to look around. When a loose gate bangs on a windy afternoon and Pepper skitters to the back of her stall, Maya stays calm and steady until the pony's ears come forward again. Little by little, Pepper stops stepping away, eats from Maya's hand, and walks beside her on a soft blue rope. This gentle tale by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL can be read on Masal İzle.