One Minute Reads - November

My Secret Unicorn - Dreams Come True by Linda Chapman (Puffin Books, 2002)

(P42) They swooped down on Shadow’s paddock at Goose Creek Farm. “There he is!” Lauren said, spotting the dark shape of Mel’s dapple-grey pony.

Twilight landed with a soft whicker just behind him. Shadow swung round with an alarmed snort. (P43) Twilight whinnied and Lauren saw Shadow relax. He whinnied back as if her was talking to Twilight.
“What’s he saying?” Lauren asked Twilight.
“That he knew I was a unicorn,” Twilight said. “And he would like to know why we’ve come.”
Lauren didn’t want to waste any time.
“Ask him why he won’t jump,” she said to Twilight.
“ He understands you,” Twilight told her as Shadow whinnied in reply. Twilight listened to the dapple-grey pony for a few moment. “He’s scared,” he told Lauren. “He says that when he was a foal, he was jumping over a tree trunk with (p44) the other foals in his field and he banged his legs really hard. Ever since then, he’s been afraid of jumping. He hates making Mel upset but he just can’t do it.”

“Have you got any magical powers that could help him not to feel so scared, Twilight?” Lauren asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied doubtfully. “I know I’ve got some magical powers, but I’m not sure what they are. I guess I might be able to help, but I don’t know how.”

Lauren felt disappointed. She’s been hoping that Twilight would be able to do some magic and make everything OK. She thought hard. If they couldn’t use Twilight’s powers to help Shadow then (p45) maybe she could come up with a more practical solution. “If I put the poles from the jumps on the ground, do you think you might be able to walk over them?” she asked Shadow.