Read Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) for Free Online Page B

Annie moved in perfect rhythm with his step. When they came to the gate of the riding ring, Jack pushed it open with his foot.
    The stallion pranced out of the ring. Soon his hooves were crunching lightly over the pebble path leading down to the square. The town wasquiet under a blanket of stars. Market stalls had shut down for the night. Merchants, craftsmen, and shoppers had gone home.
    When the stallion reached the square, a warm wind urged him forward. He quickened his gait and began to trot. Jack and Annie moved in time with his steps: one-two, one-two, one-two.
    The stallion picked up speed, until he began to canter. Jack and Annie moved in time to a different, smoother rhythm: one-two-three, one-two-three. Jack felt as if they were all dancing together.
    When the stallion came to the wide road that led from the square, he began to gallop. He took long, swinging strides, until his hooves barely touched the ground.
    Jack had the feeling that his legs had become one with the horse’s legs, his breath had become one with the horse’s breath, his skin had become one with the horse’s skin.
    Buddy ran on, unafraid of the dark. He galloped along the dirt road, passing the moonlitmilitary field where the king’s army was still drilling for war.
    The stallion kept galloping. He passed meadows where sheep and cows slept under the stars. He passed quiet farmhouses and barking dogs.
    As Buddy galloped lightly over the countryside, Jack and Annie knew how to sit evenly and how to breathe deeply. They knew when to lean forward and when to shift their weight back. If they wanted Buddy to slow down or speed up or turn, they only had to shift their bodies slightly, and the horse seemed to understand.
    Buddy soon left the road and started over a grassy field. Jack couldn’t see what was ahead, but he trusted the horse’s instincts. He trusted his own, too. He felt completely safe.
    When Buddy jumped over narrow ravines, Jack knew how to relax his body and cling to the horse’s mane. When Buddy splashed through swamps and marshes, Jack knew how to stay centered on the horse’s back.

    All through the night, Jack, Annie, and Buddy traveled over the countryside. When the horse finally slowed down to a steady walk, Jack began to grow sleepy. He rested his head on Buddy’s neck.
    Jack heard frogs croaking in the wet reeds and crickets chirping in the dry grass. His body rocked as Buddy’s hooves tapped over the hard, cracked earth, through olive groves and rocky fields. He closed his eyes ….
    “Jack.” Annie nudged him from behind.
    “What?” Jack asked in a daze.
    “Wake up.”
    “What?” Jack opened his eyes.
    The sun was up. In the rosy dawn, Buddy was ambling along the wide dirt road that led back to town. Sheep had risen to their feet and were grazing on dewy grass. A cool breeze blew by Jack’s face. It smelled of open fields and damp woolly lambs.
    “Guess what?” said Annie. “Our hour was up a long time ago.”
    “What do you mean?” said Jack, sitting up straight.
    “The magic hour, when we were great horse trainers,” said Annie.
    “What about it?” said Jack.
    “It ended,” said Annie. “For a long time, we’ve been riding Buddy just as ourselves.”
    “Really?” Jack said. “The magic ended?”
    “Don’t worry,” said Annie. “Buddy doesn’t mind riders now. We helped him understand that we’re his friends, and that it’s okay to let other people ride him. He’s not waiting for his master anymore.”
    “Oh, wow,” Jack said softly. He stroked Buddy’s damp neck. “Thank you for the great ride.”
    The stallion whinnied and kept trotting. Soon he trotted past the military field again, where the king’s soldiers were still marching. “Remind me never to join the Macedonian army,” said Jack.
    Annie laughed. “We’d better get Buddy back to the barn before everyone wakes up,” she said.
    “Okay. Then we’ll figure out what to do next,” said Jack, “about helping Alexander