Princess Ellie's Secret Read online

  “But I don’t have anything like that,” she replied. “Princesses don’t have tatty clothes.”

  So, for the next few days, Ellie worked on the carriage wearing a pair of Kate’s grandad’s overalls with the sleeves and legs rolled up.

  Except for looking after her ponies, it was the nearest she had ever come to real work. Varnishing was a whole new experience and so was vacuuming the cushions.

  In between their efforts on the carriage, the two girls continued with Shadow’s lessons. The Shetland thrived on all the attention and soon progressed to happily pulling a log.

  “He’s doing really well,” said Meg on Tuesday afternoon. “He’s ready for his big test as soon as we can use the carriage.”

  “It looks fantastic now,” said Ellie. “It’s sure to be ready by tomorrow.”

  Unfortunately, Kate’s grandad didn’t agree. “Those wheels are still a bit stiff. I’ve got to do some more work on them and check the whole thing over to make sure it’s safe. It’ll be ready the day after tomorrow and not a minute earlier.”

  Ellie pleaded with him, but he wouldn’t change his mind. So Shadow’s first real drive was set for Thursday morning. Ellie knew that was cutting everything very fine. The dealer was collecting him on Friday. This would be his one and only chance to prove himself as a driving pony. It was vital that nothing went wrong.

  Chapter 8

  By Wednesday evening, Ellie was feeling really nervous. Suppose the carriage wasn’t ready? Suppose Shadow hated pulling it? Suppose her parents were so angry with her that they insisted on selling him anyway?

  She was forced to put her panic to one side when Great Aunt Edwina’s ancient Rolls Royce roared up the palace drive. Ellie and her parents waited to greet her at the main entrance, while a nervous footman ran down the steps to open the car door.

  Great Aunt Edwina stepped out of the Rolls, looking resplendent in a long skirt and velvet cape. She glanced disapprovingly at the footman. “Dear, dear,” she said. “Servants always looked so much smarter when I was a girl.”

  “Here we go again,” muttered the King under his breath.

  Ellie knew what he meant. She just hoped that her great aunt’s arrival wasn’t going to spoil her secret plan. There were already enough things that could go wrong.

  Luckily, the weather wasn’t one of them. Thursday morning was perfect for Shadow’s big day. The sky was blue, the birds were singing, and sunlight glinted from the distant sea.

  Ellie put on her jeans and the only T-shirt she had that wasn’t pink. Then she headed for the stables. But when she was only halfway down the main corridor, she heard the unmistakeable voice of Great Aunt Edwina. “Aurelia, Aurelia,” she called. Then she glanced disapprovingly at Ellie’s clothes and added, “Oh my. Princesses never wore trousers when I was a girl.”

  “They do now,” said Ellie, as firmly as she could while still being polite.

  “Your dear parents are a little busy this morning,” said her great aunt. “They said they were sure you would be happy to keep me company.”

  Ellie smiled weakly. Her dear parents had obviously had enough of their difficult relative. Now it was her turn to suffer. Worse still, it meant there was no chance of her getting to the stables in time to get Shadow ready. She stopped a passing maid and sent her to the yard with a message saying she would meet the others in the deer park. Then she led Great Aunt Edwina to the largest of the palace sitting rooms while she desperately wondered how to get away.

  “What shall we do?” asked her great aunt, as she settled herself in a red velvet armchair.

  Ellie ignored the “we” and pulled a pack of cards from the sideboard drawer. “You could play patience,” she suggested. Great Aunt Edwina could play that by herself so she wouldn’t need Ellie’s company.

  “Nonsense,” said the old lady. “We need something we can do together. Fetch the chess set.”

  Ellie sighed and did as she was told. That trick hadn’t worked, but she was determined not to give up. She couldn’t bear the thought of sitting inside all morning while the biggest event in Shadow’s life was happening somewhere else.

  It was hard to concentrate on chess with so many thoughts racing round her brain. Was the carriage ready? What was Shadow doing? Most important of all, how was she going to escape from Great Aunt Edwina?

  Three games later, she still hadn’t thought of a plan. She also wondered if anything ever made her great aunt happy.

  “You’ve lost again, Aurelia,” said Great Aunt Edwina, without seeming at all pleased to have won. “Maybe you don’t practise enough. When I was a girl, your dear grandmamma and I used to play every day.”

  The mention of her grandmother made Ellie remember the two little girls smiling in the photograph. “I saw a picture of you both the other day,” she said. “You must have been very young – only five or six, I think.”

  “It would be interesting to see that,” said Great Aunt Edwina.

  Ellie’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she had an idea. “Come with me,” she said. “I am sure my governess would be delighted to show you. She has masses of photos.”

  Ten minutes later, Ellie was on her way to the deer park, leaving Great Aunt Edwina talking about the good old days with Miss Stringle. Ellie glanced anxiously at her watch as she ran. She was very late. “I hope they haven’t started without me,” she thought. “And I do hope nothing else goes wrong.”

  Chapter 9

  Ellie reached the deer park just in time. Kate was holding Shadow, while her grandad helped Meg to pull the carriage into position with one shaft on either side of the pony.

  “It’s great to see you,” said Kate. “We thought you weren’t going to make it.”

  “So did I for a while,” said Ellie. “Great Aunt Edwina nearly spoiled everything. She’s a real nuisance.” She helped lift the shafts through the leather loops called tugs on each side of the harness. Then she hooked one of the long leather traces to her side of the carriage, while Meg hooked on the other one.

  “The traces are what he actually pulls the carriage with,” explained Meg, as she adjusted the last few straps on the harness. “The shafts are only there to make him go straight.”

  Shadow had stood perfectly still while all this was going on, but now he stamped one tiny hoof impatiently on the ground.

  “I think he wants to get started,” said Meg. She climbed up into the carriage and took hold of the reins. “You two walk beside him for a while just to make sure everything is okay.”

  She told Shadow to walk on, and he moved forward willingly. Ellie was surprised how easily the carriage rolled after him. Kate’s grandad had worked wonders on the wheels.

  Shadow behaved perfectly as they practised stopping, starting, turning, and trotting. He even walked backwards a few steps when Meg told him to. Best of all, he seemed to be enjoying himself. He held his head proudly with his neck arched and his ears pricked.

  Eventually, Meg stopped him and told Ellie and Kate to jump in the carriage. “He’s a brilliant driving pony,” she said. “There’s no need for you to walk beside him any more.”

  The carriage swayed slightly as they climbed in. Ellie was surprised how different it felt from a car. The big wheels were designed to give a smooth ride, but it still bounced a bit as it rolled along.

  As soon as Ellie was used to the feel of it, Meg swapped places with her so she could drive. Ellie felt very proud and slightly scared as she picked up the reins. Shadow was such a long way in front of her and there was no one to grab him if anything went wrong.

  "You’ll be fine,” said Meg, reassuringly. “Just do what we’ve been practising all week.”

  Ellie’s nerves rapidly disappeared once they set off. Soon, she was confident enough to ask Shadow to trot. It was a wonderful feeling bowling along in the carriage. There was no noisy engine like there would be in a car – just the sound of the wheels turning and Shadow’s hooves pounding on the ground.

  “Let’s drive somewhere,” s
uggested Kate. “It’d be more fun than just going round and round the same patch of grass.”

  The idea appealed to Ellie. She turned Shadow onto a gravel path lined with tall trees on either side. Their branches met high in the air, forming a tunnel of green. “We’ll still be safe here,” she said. “No one can see us from the palace.”

  Shadow’s hooves crunched on the gravel as he carried them along. The sun glinted through the leaves making patches of light on the ground. It was a magical place – a place where almost anything could happen.

  Unfortunately, it did. When they rounded the next bend, they came face to face with Great Aunt Edwina.

  Chapter 10

  Ellie’s heart sank as she pulled the Shetland to a halt. Trust Miss Stringle to mess things up. She must have persuaded Great Aunt Edwina to go for a walk.

  “What are we going to do?” whispered Kate.

  Ellie had no idea. She wanted to be the one to show Shadow’s secret to her parents. She didn’t want her grumpy great aunt spoiling the surprise by moaning about it in advance. Then Ellie realized that, for the first time ever, Great Aunt Edwina was smiling.

  “What a dear little pony,” said the old lady, as she stroked Shadow’s nose. He seemed to approve of the attention and nuzzled her long skirt searching for titbits. “He’s just as sweet as the one I had when I was a girl.”

  Ellie was amazed. Great Aunt Edwina looked so different when she smiled. “Would you like a ride?” Ellie asked her. “There’s plenty of room for four.”

  The old lady’s smile grew even broader, and her eyes twinkled as she climbed into the carriage. “What I’d really like is to drive,” she said. “I used to love driving when I was a girl.”

  Ellie shuffled closer to Meg to make room on the seat. Then she handed her great aunt the reins. The old lady took them expertly and soon had Shadow on the move again. At the end of the tree-lined path, Great Aunt Edwina turned him towards the palace.

  “No!” shouted Ellie and Kate at the same time.

  “Why ever not?” said Great Aunt Edwina. “I haven’t had as much fun as this since I was a girl. I must show your parents.”

  Ellie tried to explain about the secret but there wasn’t time. Before she had completely finished, they were driving up to the royal garden where the King and Queen were sitting in their outdoor thrones, relaxing in the sun.

  “Whatever’s this?” said the King, jumping to his feet in astonishment. The movement dislodged his crown which slipped sideways over one eye.

  The Queen stood up in a more dignified manner. “Where did that carriage come from?” she asked. “And what’s Shadow doing pulling it?”

  The King looked at Ellie suspiciously. “Have you been up to something, Aur—?”

  “Isn’t it wonderful,” interrupted Great Aunt Edwina. “I’m really enjoying myself.”

  The King and Queen stared at her in amazement. They had never seen their grumpy relative look happy.

  “I’m so pleased,” said the Queen.

  “And so surprised,” added the King in a very quiet voice as he pushed his crown straight.

  Great Aunt Edwina winked at Ellie. “I do hope I’ll be able to do it again,” she said, sweetly.

  “So do I,” said the Queen. “It’s lovely to see you enjoying yourself so much.”

  Ellie leaped down from the carriage. “Does that mean we don’t have to sell Shadow?”

  The King looked doubtful. “I don’t know. It’s certainly exciting that Shadow can pull a carriage. But there’s still the problem of his health.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that any more,” said Meg, helpfully. “Now we can drive him, he’ll have plenty of exercise.”

  “So can he stay?” pleaded Ellie.

  “Mmm,” said her father, thoughtfully. Then he glanced at Great Aunt Edwina and smiled. “I don’t know what you’ve been up to in secret, Aurelia, but it seems to have worked out for the best. You can keep Shadow.”

  “And I should think so, too,” said Great Aunt Edwina. “We never got rid of perfect driving ponies when I was a girl.”

  Ellie was so relieved that she nearly burst into tears. She threw her arms round Shadow’s neck and hugged him. “You’re safe now,” she said. “You can stay here for ever and ever.”

  Pony-Mad Fun & Facts

  A Letter from Diana Kimpton

  Dear Reader,

  Are you as pony-mad as Princess Ellie? I am. I’ve loved ponies for as long as I can remember. But I didn’t get the pony I dreamed of until I was grown up.

  When I was a child, I had to make do with reading about ponies and making up imaginary stories about them. Maybe that’s why I write pony books now.

  I hope you enjoy Princess Ellie’s adventures and, because I remember how much I loved learning about ponies, there are some fantastic facts and fun quiz questions just for you in the following pages…

  Love,

  Meet Shadow, Princess Ellie’s Pony

  You’ve read all about how Shadow learned to pull a carriage again – now find out a little bit more about him…

  TYPE: Shetland pony

  COLOUR: Black

  LIKES: Grass and peppermints

  DISLIKES: Having his mane washed

  ABOUT SHADOW: Shadow was Ellie’s first pony – sturdy, strong and the perfect size for learning to ride. He is best friends with Sundance and is happy pulling a carriage.

  Princess Ellie’s Pony-Mad Quiz

  Do you know your stirrup from your saddle? Or what Shadow likes to eat? Test your knowledge of Princess Ellie’s world with this quiz!

  1. How old was Ellie when she started riding Shadow?

  a) Four years old

  b) Six years old

  c) Twelve years old

  2. What was the name of the groom before Meg?

  a) George

  b) Harry

  c) Fred

  3. Laminitis affects a pony’s:

  a) Ears

  b) Teeth

  c) Feet

  4. The shafts on Shadow’s carriage go through leather hoops on his harness called:

  a) Liners

  b) Tugs

  c) Boats

  5. What does “R and D” mean on Shadow’s bill of sale?

  a) Rare and delicate

  b) Ride and drive

  c) Round and dumpy

  6. “Ellie” is short for:

  a) Aurelia

  b) Eleanor

  c) Emily

  Quiz Answers

  1. a) 2. a) 3. c) 4. b) 5. b) 6. a)

  Tot up your total to see just how pony-mad you are…

  1-3

  A good try.

  4-5

  Great knowledge and a big rosette!

  6

  You are totally pony-mad – it’s a gold cup for you!

  Princess Ellie Colouring

  Download Princess Ellie colouring sheets and see the pictures sent to us by other Pony-Mad Princess fans

  www.usborne.com/princesselliecolouring

  Fantastic Facts About Shetland Ponies

  Shetland ponies are very hardy and strong, as they were originally born and bred in the harsh conditions of the Shetland Isles.

  During the Victorian era, some Shetland ponies worked underground pulling carts in coal mines. They could work in low tunnels because they were small.

  Shetland ponies are extremely strong, and can pull loads of up to twice their weight!

  They are the smallest British pony, and their height can be between 71 and 117 cm.

  Shetland ponies have short, thick necks. They have broad backs and are very sure-footed.

  Shetlands’ coats change according to the seasons. They have a short and silky coat in summer, and a thick double coat with a bushy mane and tail to help protect them against the cold and wet in the winter.

  They are usually black (like Shadow), brown or chestnut, but they can also be piebald or skewbald.

  Collect All the Pony-Mad Princess eBooks!

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sp; Princess Ellie to the Rescue

  Can Ellie save her beloved pony, Sundance, when he goes missing?

  Princess Ellie’s Secret

  Ellie comes up with a secret plan to stop Shadow from being sold.

  A Puzzle for Princess Ellie

  Why won’t Rainbow go down the spooky woodland path?

  Princess Ellie’s Starlight Adventure

  Hoofprints appear on the palace lawn and Ellie has to find the culprit.

  Princess Ellie’s Moonlight Mystery

  Ellie is enjoying pony camp, until she hears noises in the night.

  A Surprise for Princess Ellie

  Ellie sets off in search of adventure, but ends up with a big surprise.

  Princess Ellie’s Holiday Adventure

  Ellie and Kate go to visit Prince John, and get lost in the snow!

  Princess Ellie and the Palace Plot

  Can Ellie’s Pony, Starlight, help her uncover the palace plot?

  Princess Ellie's Christmas

  Ellie’s plan for the perfect Christmas present goes horribly wrong…

  Princess Ellie Saves the Day

  Can Ellie save the day when one of her ponies gets ill?

  Princess Ellie’s Summer Holiday

  Wilfred the Wonder Dog is missing and it’s up to Ellie to find him.

  Princess Ellie’s Treasure Hunt

  Will Ellie find the secret treasure buried in the palace grounds?

  Princess Ellie’s Perfect Plan

  Can Ellie find the perfect plan to stop her best friend from leaving?

  Check out more sparkly stories at

  www.usborne.com/fiction

  This edition first published in 2014 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England. www.usborne.com