Princess Ellie's Secret Read online

  About This Book

  Princess Ellie is pony-mad! She loves helping out at the royal stables or riding one of her four beautiful ponies in the palace grounds.

  It’s been years since Ellie learned to ride on Shadow, her little Shetland pony. Now her feet touch the ground when she’s riding him. When the King sees how ridiculous she looks, he orders Shadow to be sold. But Ellie can’t bear to lose him. She’s got to think of a secret plan to save Shadow, and time is running out!

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Pony-Mad Fun & Facts

  A Letter from Diana Kimpton

  Meet Shadow, Princess Ellie’s Pony

  Princess Ellie’s Pony-Mad Quiz

  Quiz Answers

  Fantastic Facts About Shetland Ponies

  Collect All the Pony-Mad Princess eBooks

  Copyright

  For Jack

  Chapter 1

  “Steady, Shadow,” said Princess Ellie. The black Shetland pony she was riding pawed at the ground with a tiny front hoof. He was keen to start the dressing-up race, and couldn’t understand the delay.

  “Are you all right down there?” asked Kate, with a grin. She was riding Sundance, Ellie’s chestnut pony, who was much taller than Shadow.

  Ellie grinned back. “Just you wait,” she said.

  “Sometimes it’s good to be small.” She was so glad Kate had come to live with her grandparents, who worked at the palace. It was good to have a friend at last, and they had so much fun together with Ellie’s four ponies.

  “Are you two ready?”called Meg, the palace groom. When they both nodded, she shouted, “One, two, three, GO.”

  The two ponies leaped forward and galloped across the field towards two piles of clothes on the other side. Ellie leaned forward, urging Shadow on. But the Shetland’s short legs were no match for Sundance. Soon, the chestnut pony pulled ahead and reached Kate’s pile of clothes first.

  “Bother,” thought Ellie, as she saw Kate leap off and start putting on a long floppy coat. Then Shadow finally reached the other pile and she had to concentrate on her own part in the race.

  Jumping off was easy – her feet were nearly touching the ground anyway. Then she pulled on a long coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck and crammed a wide-brimmed hat on top of her pink and gold crash cap.

  She glanced over to Kate, expecting to see her on her way back. But she wasn’t. She was struggling to mount Sundance. Now she was dressed up, she was finding it hard to lift her foot high enough to reach the stirrup.

  “We’ve still got a chance, Shadow,” cried Ellie. She didn’t have Kate’s problem. Shadow was so small that she managed to jump into the saddle without using the stirrups at all.

  She urged the Shetland into a gallop and headed back towards the finishing line. Soon she could hear Sundance’s hooves pounding after them, but this time the lead was too great. Shadow raced across the line just ahead of the chestnut pony.

  “Ellie’s the winner,” shouted Meg.

  “Well done,” said Kate. “Being small was definitely useful that time.”

  Suddenly a voice called, “Princess Aurelia!”

  Ellie looked round and saw Miss Stringle standing at the palace end of the field. She always insisted on using Ellie’s full name. To Ellie’s annoyance, so did nearly everyone else in the royal household, especially the King and Queen. Ellie trotted Shadow across the field to say hello. But as soon as she was close enough to see her governess’s face, she realized something was wrong.

  “Whatever are you doing, Your Royal Highness?” asked Miss Stringle, giving Ellie one of her disapproving looks.

  Ellie ignored the look and cheerfully replied, “We’re playing mounted games. I just won. Did you see?”

  “Indeed I did,” declared Miss Stringle. “And I’m horrified to see you making such an exhibition of yourself. It is not suitable behaviour for a princess.”

  Ellie felt confused. Surely there was nothing wrong with winning. Then she remembered the hat, coat and scarf. “I had to wear these,” she explained, as she pulled off the hat. “You can’t have a dressing-up race without dressing up.”

  “I am not talking about the clothes,” said Miss Stringle, crossly. “It’s the pony that’s the problem. It’s much too small.” As she spoke, she waved her hand at Shadow. The greedy Shetland instantly assumed he was being offered food. He stuck out his nose and nuzzled Miss Stringle’s outstretched palm. She pulled her hand away quickly and dabbed it clean with a lace-trimmed hankie.

  Normally, Ellie would have been tempted to laugh. But this time, she was too full of indignation. “Shadow’s not too small,” she said. “He’s exactly the right size for a Shetland.”

  “But that’s not the right size for you,” said Miss Stringle. “You look ridiculous. I’ll have to tell your parents.” Without waiting for Ellie to reply, she marched back to the palace with a determined look on her face.

  Ellie’s heart sank. Deep down inside, she knew Miss Stringle was right. Shadow was her very first pony, and she could hardly remember the time when he wasn’t there for her to love. He’d been her best birthday present the year she was four and he’d been just the right size for her then. But over the years, she had grown and he hadn’t. Now her feet nearly touched the ground when she was riding him. She had hoped no one else would notice. What would happen to Shadow if she couldn’t ride him any more?

  Chapter 2

  Ellie didn’t have to wonder for very long. By the time she and Kate had ridden back to the stable yard, the King and Queen were already there. They looked strangely out of place in their royal clothes and everyday crowns. Their long velvet robes trimmed with ermine were definitely not designed with straw and manure in mind.

  Miss Stringle was with them. She pointed at Ellie as she rode Shadow through the arched entrance. “You see what I mean, Your Majesty. The princess looks ridiculous.”

  The King stifled a laugh. “She’s quite right, Aurelia. Shadow’s much too small for you now.”

  “But I love him,” said Ellie. “We’ve been together for ever and ever. And I don’t mind what I look like.”

  “But we do,” said the Queen. “Princesses must always look dignified. You really mustn’t ride him any more.”

  “Perhaps Kate could instead,” suggested Ellie. “She’s not a princess so you can’t mind what she looks like.” To Ellie’s delight, Kate agreed with enthusiasm. Perhaps this was the solution.

  But the Queen smiled and shook her head. “That’s a lovely idea, but Kate’s legs are even longer than yours. And this isn’t just about appearances. It’s about what’s right for Shadow.”

  “The fact of the matter is that you are both too big to ride him,” said the King, firmly. Then he turned to Meg and added, “Please arrange for the pony to be sold.”

  Ellie was too shocked to speak. Not being able to ride Shadow was bad enough. Losing him would be unbearable.

  Meg must have spotted her dismay. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll find him a really good home.”

  Ellie jumped down and stood defensively between Shadow and the adults. “He doesn’t need a good home,” she said, angrily. “He’s got a good home already.” Shadow nuzzled in her pocket for a peppermint, unaware that his future hung in the balance.

  The Queen put her arm round Ellie’s shoulders. “I’m sure you’ll get used to the idea, Aurelia.”

  “And you’ll still have Sundance, Rainbow and Moonbeam,” add
ed the King. “Surely three ponies are enough for anyone.”

  Ellie watched miserably as her parents walked back to the palace with Miss Stringle. How could they be so mean? Didn’t they understand how much she loved Shadow?

  Sundance seemed to sense something was wrong. He reached out his chestnut head and blew gently down his nose at the Shetland. The two ponies had been friends ever since they first met. They often stayed together in their field, standing head to tail to protect each other from the flies.

  Ellie stroked Sundance’s chestnut nose. “You’ll miss Shadow too, won’t you?”

  “So will I,” said Kate, as she ran her fingers through the Shetland’s black mane, then she glanced at Ellie and added, “It must be much harder for you.”

  Ellie flung her arms round Shadow’s neck. “It won’t feel like home without him. He’s always been here. George taught me to ride on him.”

  Kate looked puzzled. “Was George the groom before Meg?” she asked. “The one who wouldn’t let you help look after your ponies.”

  “Yes,” said Ellie, as she gave the Shetland the peppermint he’d been looking for. She was so glad George had retired. Then she suddenly had an idea. “Hold these,” she yelled, thrusting Shadow’s reins into Kate’s hands and racing after her parents.

  They were already well ahead of her so she took a short cut, leaping over a low hedge and running across the neatly manicured lawn. They were just walking up the gravel path to the magnificent main entrance when Ellie squeezed between two large rose bushes and ran out in front of them. Miss Stringle’s eyebrows shot skywards at the sight of such unprincesslike behaviour, but Ellie didn’t have time to apologize.

  “I’ve got a brilliant idea,” she said. “We don’t need to get rid of Shadow after all.”

  The King and Queen looked doubtful, so Ellie continued quickly before they could stop her. “He’s worked really hard for years just like George did. So couldn’t he retire and be happy like George? Then it wouldn’t matter that there’s no one to ride him. He could just stay here and spend the rest of his life eating grass and doing nothing.”

  “Hmmm,” said the King, thoughtfully. “I can’t see anything wrong with that.”

  The Queen smiled. “It sounds like a perfect solution. You’d better go back and tell Meg.” She glanced sideways at Miss Stringle and added, “But this time, use the path.”

  Ellie was so delighted that she gave her mum a big hug. Then she headed back to the stables, trying to walk in as dignified a way as possible until the royal party went inside. As soon as she was sure they couldn’t see her any more, she started to run as fast as she could.

  She found the others in the tack room and blurted out her news. Kate was as delighted as she was but, to Ellie’s surprise, Meg seemed less enthusiastic.

  “What’s wrong?” Ellie asked her, angrily. “I thought you liked Shadow?”

  Meg shook her head and smiled. “Of course I do. I’m just worried that retirement might not suit him as much as you think.”

  Ellie rushed away. She didn’t want to hear Meg’s doubts. She was sure her idea was brilliant. What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 3

  The next day, Ellie was in the middle of a dreary maths lesson when a footman arrived. Miss Stringle glowered at him. The schoolroom was her territory and she didn’t like being interrupted.

  The footman ignored the glower. He straightened the jacket of his red and gold uniform, pulled himself up to his full height, and announced, “Their Majesties, the King and Queen, wish to see Princess Aurelia immediately in the parlour.”

  Even Miss Stringle couldn’t ignore such an important summons. She snapped her book shut and waved Ellie towards the door. “You’d better go,” she said. “But make sure you come straight back.”

  Ellie was delighted to escape, as she loved going to the parlour. She was fascinated by the dozens of animals galloping across the painted ceiling, but there was no time to look at those today. The King and Queen were standing waiting for her by one of the tall windows. Meg was with them and so was the royal vet. They all looked very serious.

  Ellie’s mouth went dry with fear. Something must be terribly wrong. Had there been an accident? Was one of her ponies hurt or even dead?

  “We’ve been talking about Shadow,” said the King.

  “Is he sick?” asked Ellie, her panic growing worse by the minute.

  “No,” said the Queen. “But Meg is worried about him. She thinks retiring Shadow is a bad idea.”

  “No, it’s not,” argued Ellie. “He’ll love doing nothing. He’ll be able to stand in the field and eat all day long.”

  “That’s the problem,” said Meg. “Too much food and too little exercise will make Shadow very fat.”

  Ellie scowled at her. “What’s wrong with that?” she snapped. She felt betrayed. Meg was usually on her side.

  The King stepped between them. “Calm down, Aurelia,” he said, firmly. “Being rude won’t get you anywhere. We’re only trying to do what’s right for Shadow.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it,” Ellie muttered under her breath. She tried hard to look calm although she didn’t feel it inside.

  The vet smiled kindly at her. “Shadow is a lovely pony,” he said. “I can see why you’re so fond of him.”

  Ellie felt a glimmer of hope and smiled back. Perhaps there was someone on her side after all.

  The vet walked over to the fireplace and turned to face them, his hands behind his back. “The problem is that Shadow’s a Shetland,” he continued. “He’s designed to work hard on poor grazing. If he does nothing but eat all day, he could get ill.”

  “With tummy ache?” asked Ellie, remembering the last time she’d eaten too much chocolate cake.

  “No,” said Meg. “With laminitis.”

  “What’s that?” Ellie asked. She had seen the name in her pony books but she had never understood what it was.

  “It’s an illness that fat, over-fed ponies can get,” explained the vet. “It makes the insides of their feet hot and inflamed. It’s very painful and it can damage their feet so badly that they never get better.”

  “That’s why I’m worried about Shadow,” said Meg. “If he got laminitis, he’d really suffer.”

  The Queen walked forward and put a sympathetic arm around Ellie’s shoulders. “So retirement isn’t right for Shadow, is it, Aurelia?”

  “No,” said Ellie miserably, as the glimmer of hope disappeared. Her idea wasn’t so brilliant after all. She’d feel dreadful if it made Shadow ill.

  “I’m glad that’s settled,” announced the King. “Meg will arrange to sell him as soon as possible.”

  Ellie started to cry. “Please don’t make him go,” she begged.

  “No amount of tears are going to make me change my mind,” said the King. “Shadow needs plenty of exercise and the only place he’s going to get it is in a new home.”

  Ellie knew she had lost. But she couldn’t bear the thought of losing Shadow.

  Chapter 4

  Ellie found it hard to concentrate when she got back to the schoolroom. Her brain was too busy trying to think of a way to keep Shadow. Her thoughts were interrupted by Miss Stringle tapping her desk with a ruler. “So what is the answer, Your Highness?” she asked, impatiently.

  “I’m not sure,” muttered Ellie. That was an understatement. She didn’t even know what the question was.

  “Think carefully,” said Miss Stringle in an exasperated voice. “If there are twelve princesses and nine princes, how many couples can live happily ever after?”

  “Twelve?” guessed Ellie.

  Miss Stringle raised her eyebrows.

  “Eleven?” said Ellie, watching the eyebrows closely. They didn’t drop so she tried again. “Nine?”

  “At last,” said Miss Stringle with a sigh of relief. “Mental arithmetic is obviously not your strong point today. I think we’ll try some history.”

  “Do I have to?” asked Ellie without enthusiasm.
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  “Of course you do,” replied Miss Stringle. “You’re a princess. You must learn about your heritage.” She pulled a huge book down from a shelf and laid it on Ellie’s desk. “Maybe this will get you interested.”

  To her surprise, Ellie saw that it was an old photograph album. Its red leather cover was embossed with the royal coat of arms and a golden crown.

  “Look inside,” said Miss Stringle. “There are pictures of the entire royal family, starting from the days when photography was invented.”

  Ellie slowly turned the pages. This was much more interesting than learning the dates of ancient battles. “Look, she’s wearing Mum’s crown,” she said, pointing at a photo of a long-dead queen.

  “That’s your great grandmother, Queen Elspeth,” said Miss Stringle. “She had that crown made for her. She said the old one gave her a headache.”

  Ellie laughed and looked at the next photo. It showed the grumpiest-looking king she had ever seen.

  “That’s her husband – your great grandfather,” explained Miss Stringle.

  “He looks very cross,” said Ellie. “Perhaps his crown gave him a headache too.” She turned to the next page, where two small girls in frothy dresses and wide-brimmed hats smiled out at her.

  “That’s your grandmother and your Great Aunt Edwina when they were little girls,” explained Miss Stringle. She pointed at the prim lady beside them. “And that’s their governess. Doesn’t she look elegant? Governesses were so respected in those days.” She paused and sighed wistfully.

  But Ellie wasn’t listening any more. She didn’t care who the people in the photo were. What was much more important was that they were sitting in a carriage, and that carriage was being pulled by a Shetland pony just like Shadow. Perhaps this was the answer to her problem. If Shadow learned to pull a carriage, it would keep him busy and give him plenty of exercise. Plus, she was sure that she and Kate would enjoy driving him around the palace grounds.