Sleepover Girls on Horseback. Fiona Cummings

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СКАЧАТЬ what Mrs McAllister says is true,” Mum had told me. “She says that rebuilding the stables is going to cost thousands of pounds – she just doesn’t have that kind of money and only some of it is covered by insurance. She needs the horses settled before winter, so it looks like she might have to close down the riding school and sell the horses.”

      I had been so upset that I’d hardly slept. And I nearly started crying when I told the others.

      “But what about Adam?” Rosie blurted out. “He was upset enough about the fire. I don’t know how he’ll cope if he can’t ride any more.”

      “Mrs McAllister’s going to carry on with her lessons for the moment,” I told her. “The practice ring wasn’t damaged and it’s right next to the farm so the horses can get there easily.”

      “Are there any other stables nearby?” Fliss asked.

      “None that do Riding for the Disabled,” Rosie said. “Mum’s already asked.”

      “I don’t want to go to another stables. I want to go to that one!” I shouted. The others looked shocked. They’re not used to seeing me get upset. But then, nothing has ever threatened the horses before.

      “OK, OK, calm down.” Frankie took control, as usual. “I’m sure there’s something we can do.”

      But before we could come up with a plan, the bell went for the start of school.

      “Right you lot, this is Operation Horseback!” shouted Frankie in her Sergeant-Major voice. “Rendez-vous here at 10.30 hours (that means first break, dummies). And get your brains into gear for a plan of action. Right you ‘orrible lot. Quick march – left, right, left, right…” and we all marched into the classroom.

      We would have marched right to our chairs, but Mrs Weaver gave us one of her looks. Sometimes she has no sense of humour. I think she must have had one of her headaches.

      I tried to concentrate on my work but I couldn’t. I just had to think of a way to save Mrs McAllister’s riding school. Every time I looked across at Rosie she seemed to be deep in thought, too. Fliss was staring into space a lot, but I think that was just because she couldn’t understand the maths we were doing.

      At first break we all met up in the playground.

      “Any ideas?” asked Frankie.

      We all shook our heads.

      “If we were on one of those dumb TV programmes, we’d rebuild the stables ourselves!” she sighed. “But I can’t see us being much good at that.”

      “It’s a pity they don’t have a Stable Building badge in Brownies. We could have done it for that!” laughed Kenny. She jumped on Frankie’s back and pretended to ride her round the playground.

      “No horseplay, girls! Someone will get hurt!” shouted out Mrs Daniels.

      Frankie had a fit of the giggles. “Horseplay!” she screamed. “Horseplay!”

      She was laughing so much that Kenny couldn’t hold on and fell to the ground. But she was laughing too, so it didn’t matter.

      “I bet Danny-Boy didn’t even say it on purpose,” Kenny snorted. “She’s had a sense of humour bypass that woman!”

      “We don’t have to actually build the stables, do we?” said Fliss, suddenly concerned.

      “What?” asked the rest of us together.

      “Talk about a sense of humour bypass, Fliss – were you operated on too?” asked Kenny.

      “No, stupid!” said Fliss going pink. “What I meant was, it’s not building the stables that’s the problem, is it? You said that Mrs McAllister doesn’t have any money. So really we should try to find her someone who has.”

      “Right, Fliss. I’ll just write to the Queen shall I?” said Kenny. “Dear Queenie, the stables where our friends ride have been burnt down. Please send us lots of money so that we can build some more. Lots of love, the Sleepover Club. That should do the trick, shouldn’t it? Ten pound notes will be falling through the letter box in no time!”

      “Ha, ha, ha!” said Fliss, going pinker than ever. “That’s not what I meant, but there must be someone who can help.”

      “Fliss is right,” said Frankie. “Why don’t we think of ways to raise money?”

      “But we’d never raise enough!” said Fliss.

      “That’s not the point,” said Frankie firmly. “Every little helps. I’m sure there are lots of people who don’t know that the stables have burnt down. If we can ‘raise people’s awareness’, as Mum says, maybe they’ll make a donation and Mrs McAllister will get enough money to rebuild her stables.”

      Suddenly I felt cheerful again. It really seemed as though we could make a difference. And more importantly, it looked as though Alfie, Bramble and Marvel wouldn’t have to be sold to someone else.

      “I’m going to the farm after school tomorrow,” I told the others. “I’ll tell Mrs McAllister that we’re going to help. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”

      “We’ll all come with you, Lyndz,” said Frankie. “If the Sleepover Club are going to the rescue, we really should find out what we’re rescuing!”

      “Yeah!” shouted Kenny and Rosie, doing high fives.

      “Are you coming too?” I asked Fliss. She was being very quiet and I knew she wasn’t wild about horses. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

      “Of course I am!” she said crossly. “You’re not leaving me out!”

      So we arranged to meet at Mr Brocklehurst’s farm after school the next day. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. We should have realised then that Fliss and horses really don’t mix!

      

      I was really excited about going to Mr Brocklehurst’s farm the next day, but I was kind of nervous too. I hadn’t seen the horses since the fire you see. What if they’d changed? What if they were really spooked by what had happened and wouldn’t let anyone near them?

      “Are you sure the horses are all right?” I asked Stuart, as Dad drove us to the farm.

      “For the hundredth time, Lyndz, they’re fine,” Stuart replied.

      That made me feel a bit better, but butterflies were still flapping about inside my tummy. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s just because I love those horses more than anything else in the world and I was worried that they’d be feeling frightened because their routine had changed. Horses are creatures of habit you see.

      When we arrived at the farm, I said bye to Dad and jumped out to open the gate. The first thing I saw was Alfie in the field. СКАЧАТЬ