Cassandra, the Magic Pony

So, making sure her toy pony was safe in her pocket, she set out. She went across a few fields and into a small wood where she never saw anyone. There, checking that she was completely alone, she took the toy animal out of her pocket and laid it on the ground. ‘Can you make yourself big for me?’ she whispered to it. And, lo and behold, the toy started to become bigger and bigger until it was her very own Cassandra, full-size once again! ‘That’s fantastic!’ she breathed in awe. ‘So you are magic!’ but Cassandra didn’t reply, just looking at her with her big, dark eyes. ‘I want to ride you,’ Julia said now. And, leading her by the bridle to a nearby stile, she used that to climb up onto its back. Then she cantered away across a field and into another wood. Cassandra picked her way delicately through the trees until they came out the other side and were confronted by a huge expanse of bare hillside with not a soul around. There Julia said, ‘OK. Now you can gallop!’ and they set off racing up the hill until they reached the top where Cassandra stopped. She wasn’t even breathing heavily, let alone sweating. It was a sunny day and Julia could see for miles. She spotted her own village way down below and several towns as well. ‘That was brilliant!’ she whispered to the pony and Cassandra whinnied back at her just like she’d done the first time they’d met, the day Julia had fallen in love with her. But Julia knew she couldn’t stay out much longer and said to her pony, ‘Sorry but we must go home now,’ and Cassandra went galloping back down the hillside until they reached the wood where she slowed. When they got there, Julia jumped off and whispered sadly, ‘Now you must make yourself small again,’ and Cassandra, obedient as ever, began to shrink. In no time at all she was small enough to fit into Julia’s pocket and Julia ran happily home. She knew she had the best of both worlds now: a real pony she could ride whenever she wanted to but at the same time one that didn’t have to be fed or stabled but could live with her in her bedroom! ‘Thank you!’ she whispered to her toy when she got back but, as usual, Cassandra didn’t reply although Julia could have sworn that the toy animal winked at her. But when she looked at it more closely, all she could see were the dark, plastic eyes looking back at her without blinking.