4. Polly Says No

Chapter 4 Polly Says No The kids walked to the barn. Pal led the way with his tail wagging. Polly the pony was nibbling on straw in her stall. When the kids came near, she looked at them with big brown eyes. She let out a soft nicker and her ears went straight up. Bradley stepped into the stall and slipped a halter over Polly's head. She playfully bumped her head against his and brushed his cheek with her soft lips. "We'll need to make holes in the wig for her ears," Bradley said.

"Got it," Lucy said. Brian handed her the scissors, and he turned the wig inside out. The inside was stretchy cloth. With Brian holding the wig, Lucy cut two holes big enough for two pony ears. "Let's try it on her," Brian said. Bradley held the harness while Brian and Lucy slipped the wig onto Polly's head. Brian reached underneath and popped her ears up through the two holes. "How does she look?" Lucy asked. "Like a pony with a wig on," Nate said. Suddenly Polly snorted and threw her head back. She stamped her feet on the stall floor. "I knew she wouldn't like it," Bradley said. He pulled the wig off. "Settle down, girl." Polly quieted right down. But she kept her eyes on the wig in Bradley's hand. "Okay, I guess we won't put Polly's costume on until the last minute, either," Bradley said. "I think we should tie the hat to the wig," Lucy said. "Then we can just plop the whole thing on her head when we get to the parade. We can tie it on with more of the ribbon."

"Good idea," Brian said. "And we can tape the buckles on her hooves at the same time." "Okay, we have to go," Bradley said. He started to lead Polly out of her stall. "Not so fast!" a voice said from the barn door. It was Josh, the twins' older brother. He was still in pajamas. "Mom and Dad said I have to go to the parade with you guys." "We don't need a babysitter!" Brian squawked. "No one's talking about a babysitter," Josh said. "I'll just be there in case anything goes wrong."

"Nothing is going to go wrong," Bradley said. "It's a parade!"

"Don't argue," Josh said. "I'm only doing what Mom and Dad told me. I'm meeting Dink and Ruth Rose there, anyway." Nate giggled. "In your jammies?" he asked. "Duh," Josh said. "I need to grab some breakfast and change." "We have to go now!" Bradley said. "We can't be late for the pet parade!" Josh thought for a minute. "Okay, go ahead," he said. "I'll catch up with you on the trail!" He turned and sped across the backyard. "What's the trail?" Lucy asked. "Come on, we'll show you," Brian said. They cut through the meadow that surrounded the twins' house. Grasshoppers and butterflies flew into the air as their feet disturbed the tall grasses. Bradley held Polly's harness lead, and Brian held Pal's leash. Nate and Lucy carried the wig, hat, buckles, and Declaration of Independence. They crossed Woody Street and walked between two thick posts on the other side. "This is the trail," Brian said. They were standing in a clearing. Years of hikers walking

there had worn the ground smooth. A path led south. They could see the high school buildings. "Our dad looked it up," Bradley said. "The Mohegans used to walk here!" "That's a Native American tribe, right?" Lucy asked. "Yup," Nate said. "Mr. Vooray told us they had farms near here. They fished in the river!" The kids followed the smooth trail through the high school grounds and past Crystal Pond. A sign by the pond said DUCK CROSSING. The trail ended next to the veterinarian's office on East Green Street. They saw Dr. Henry hurry down his front steps. He was wearing a straw hat and a red, white, and