Then, one day, Lily was sitting at her desk doing her school. She happened to look out the window and saw Samuel galloping Black Knight around the pasture. Immediately the thought struck her. What if Samuel rode Black Knight? She instantly left for Leslie’s to tell her.

            When she heard of the brilliant plan, Leslie agreed very excitedly and immediately began planning the jockey colors. They would be emerald green and white silks since the jockey was from Ireland.

            But, there was one little detail forgotten. And that was asking Samuel if he would be the jockey. Lily forgot all about that in her rush to tell Leslie her plan and she had already gone and placed the order for the silks. Samuel happened to be at the post office while she was placing the order and wondered who it was that was the jockey. When Lily had finished and walked out, Samuel followed her and, when he’d caught up to her, asked, “Lily, who’s going to be the jockey?” That’s when Lily remembered that she hadn’t asked him to be the jockey. A little nervousness was in her voice when she said, “Well, Leslie and I thought that it would be nice if you would be the jockey. I know, I didn’t ask you first, but I think you’re a good rider and perfect for the job. Please say you will!” Samuel frowned and only said, “I’ll have to think on it” and walked away.

            For three whole weeks, Samuel kept Lily and Leslie in suspense. Finally, he came into Lily’s room where she sat doing school at her desk. “Lily,” he said seriously, “I need to talk to you.” She turned, “What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking about being a jockey.”

“Oh? And?”

“Well, I decided that I couldn’t do it.”

“Why? You’d be a perfect jockey!”

“Because I’m not the perfect jockey, that’s why.”

“Well, this would be a perfect chance for you to practice.”

“But, I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Oh, Samuel! I was so set on you being the jockey!”

“Don’t get too upset. You still have time to find a jockey.”

“But, you’re the only one who could get up on Black Knight’s back without him bucking you off. Nobody else, besides me, can do that.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Who?”

“Alan Kent”

“Who’s that?”

“The best rider in Ireland. He’s the manager’s nephew. He recently wrote to me from New York. He’s comin’ to see me, so maybe ye can ask ‘im to be that jockey.”

“Alright, but I don’t see how he’s going to be able to ride Black Knight.”

“You’ll see, Lily.”

           A month later, as Lily was helping her mother in the kitchen, a truck drove into the driveway. Lily looked out and saw a man hop out. Samuel raced up to him and they embraced, then the two walked into the house. “Lily,” said Samuel, “I’d like you to meet my friend, Alan Kent.” Lily smiled, “I’m pleased to meet you. My name’s Lily Starr.” Alan nodded to her and then Lily bade them sit down in the parlor while her mother poured some lemonade for them all.

            Not long after that, Lily and Samuel took Alan out to see the horses. They were both hoping that the man would ask to ride Black Knight so they could see how he would do. It wasn’t long until their wish was granted. The conversation between Alan and Lily went like this:

"Those are good lookin’ horses ye have here. Can ye tell me their names?”

“The tall red one is Prairie Fire…”

“A real beauty to be sure, but what’s the name o’ that tall black?”

“Oh, his name is Black Knight.”

“Black Knight. And what type of horse might ‘e be?”

“Pure Arabian.”

“Do ye have ‘is papers?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And ‘ave ye considered puttin’ ‘im in a race, Lily?”

“Yes, I actually was planning on it.”

“But?”

“But, we’re lacking a jockey. Samuel refused already and we don’t have the finances to pay for a good one, so we’re kind of in the ditch.”

“Well, why didn’t ye say so in the first place?! I’ll ride for ye!”

“Oh, good!”

“But, what’s the name o’ that wee pony? He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place ‘im. Sure ‘n’ he’s a strong lookin’ fellow.”

Here, Samuel took over the conversation with Alan.

“Ye don’t know what the name o’ the little pony is?”

“No, I don’t. Ye ‘ave to understand, I’m seein’ many ponies every day goin’ down into the mine, so I can’t remember the names of all of ‘em.”

“I’ll give ye a clue. The little girl went down into the mine durin’ a cave in, and ye thought she’d never come out.”

“Oh, I’m startin’ to get it. Another clue please.”

“She’s got an Irish name and ‘er mother was a little Dartmoor.”

“Oh, aye, I know who ‘t is now! Sheilah!”

“Aye, that she is!”

“Ach, an’ to think that I didn’t recognize ‘er meself!”

“Well, she does look different now. I cleaned ‘er up right well and she’s fattened out quite a bit.”

“She sure has. Now, back to that tall black. I’d like to ride ‘im if ye don’t mind.”

“Ye may, but best ye be careful. He’s nearly killed many a man.”

“Ah, that kind. Don’t worry, but thank ye for the warnin’.”

Alan walked out into the pasture and strode across to Black Knight.

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The Letter

Lily’s mother homeschooled her since they had so much to do. Lily enjoyed being able to do her school without interruptions in her room and never complained about doing it either. But, that day was destined to be different.

            Lily was sitting at her desk in her room doing her school when she was suddenly interrupted. The door flew open and in came Samuel, “You’ve received a letter from the Churchill Downs Racetrack!” Lily swept the letter from his hand, tore it open and read:

Dear Lily,

    We received your letter and read it some time ago. By the information that you enclosed, we didn’t see much chance in finding anything about this horse, but we were wrong. We are happy to announce that we did indeed find what you wanted.

Black Knight’s information is as follows:

Abdullah Sahar

Sire: Abdul Shakar owned by Sheik Ashkali  

Dam: Sahar Ashtah owned by Sheik Raandah

·        Black Knight was born in the spring in Sheik Lahore’s stable/tent as Abdullah Sahar.

·        Dam died when Abdullah Sahar was only three months.

·        Abdullah Sahar sold to Raja Shahal when colt was four months old.

·        Raja Shahal sold the colt two weeks later to traveling merchant.

·        Merchant drowns on the sea and papers are sent to America.

·        Lily Starr is now in full ownership of Abdullah Sahar (now one and a half years old) by order of Raja Shahal the Younger.

So, we are glad to say that you may enter the Kentucky Derby in six months. Luckily, this is the end of the month, so you have all of early next year to train Black Knight (Abdullah Sahar). Good luck!

             The Staff at Churchill Downs

Lily squealed, handed the letter to Samuel, and ran to Leslie’s to tell her of their luck. Now, Black Knight could earn enough money to fill those empty stalls!

After hearing about their good fortune, Leslie joined Lily in her jubilance and soon they were making plans. First, with Leslie’s help, Black Knight would be entered in a preparatory race, that would be the Saratoga Race Course in New York, then, the Kentucky Derby and, if Black Knight wins that, then on to more races. Lily and Leslie were so excited they could hardly wait, but Lily knew that they were taking big chances to make it to the Derby.

As soon as she returned to her house, Lily wrote to Churchill Downs for the entrance papers. Then, she wrote to every other race track she could think of for their entrance papers as well. Lily and Leslie were determined that Black Knight could make it if he really wanted to. Now, the only thing left was, where would they find a jockey?

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  Fire!

One hot night late in the summer, Lily was laying on her bed reading. She was supposed to be sleeping, but she was so intrigued by the story she was reading that she just couldn’t put it down. Suddenly she heard the sound of Black Knight screaming. At first, she thought it was just her imagination making sound effects for the book she was reading, but then she kept hearing it. Lily stopped reading and walked to the window. The stable roof was in flames! She ran down the stairs shouting, “Fire, fire!” Her mom and Samuel soon joined her and together they began filling buckets with water to put the fire out. Lily heard Black Knight scream again and, without stopping at Samuel’s shouts, raced inside.

            Samuel and Mrs. Starr kept throwing water on the fire and kept an eye on the door, watching for Lily. They heard a motor behind them and, when they turned, they saw Leslie and five men jump out of Leslie’s truck. Immediately they began helping to put out the fire. Suddenly, Lily, Black Knight, Sheilah and Old Jake appeared in the doorway and they were running out of there as fast as they could. No sooner had they made it out when the whole roof came crashing down and the whole barn collapsed in flames. There was nothing left to do, but watch it burn to ashes.

 After a while, one of the men turned and said to Lily, “I saw someone leaving your stable about five minutes before the fire started on the roof.” Lily frowned, “What kind of someone?” The man tilted his head in deep thought, then, “Well, if I remember correctly, it was a man with a jacket on. Yes, that’s it! He had a jacket on and I thought ‘How strange, to be wearing a jacket in this weather.’ The man was tall and very thin, but that’s all I could see.” Lily sighed, “Well, at least he didn’t steal Black Knight or something like that.” Samuel shook his head, “What I want to know is why he would burn down the barn in the first place?” Lily shrugged. She could not understand it herself. The only explanation she could offer was that maybe the man knew something that she didn’t. 

For the rest of the month, they were all busy cleaning up the mess and building a new barn. Jedidiah didn’t enjoy the fact that he could have lost his mule that night and vowed to find the man and “give him a licking he’d never forget, no suh, never.” Lily thought constantly about it and tried to think of the reason behind the mysterious stranger’s visit to the barn to burn it down.

            Now, they were standing in front of the huge, double doors of the new barn with a feeling that they did something worthwhile and great.

Leslie smiled and turned to Lily, “Well, that wasn’t so bad. And it was worth all the money and labor. Now all you need is some more horses to fill those extra stalls.” Lily agreed and Samuel said, “I agree, but it took all the money we had to build the barn, so it’ll be a while. Sure n’ I’d love to have more horses, but that’s not possible yet.” Leslie smiled mischievously and Lily knew there was something up. As if in answer to Lily’s thought, Leslie suggested, “Why don’t you race for the money?” Lily gasped and Samuel frowned, “That’s impossible. We don’t have Black Knight’s papers and I don’t think he has any. You know as well as I do that a horse can’t race without them.” Leslie frowned, “I forgot about that. But, you can race him in the small races that don’t have that rule.” Samuel shook his head and Lily shrugged. But Lily thought, The track staff haven’t wrote back yet. Maybe we still have hope.

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  The Pit

The following evening, Lily and Samuel sat on the front porch drinking milk and eating chocolate chip cookies. They sat in silence until Samuel, turning to Lily, broke it, “I want to thank you for all you’re doing for me. I know that you probably had to get help from Leslie because I haven’t told you anything, but it’s enough that you did this for me. I am glad that you did. You don’t know how important Sheilah is to me.” Lily smiled, “You’re very welcome. It was a joy to do everything for you.” Samuel nodded, “But,” Lily said seriously, “why don’t you tell me?” He looked up at the sky and sat in silence for some time. “Well,” he said waveringly, “I guess I must tell you now. I know that by my behavior you are probably curious to know my story.” Lily nodded eagerly, “Yes, I am curious. I’ve been wondering ever since you first came here.” Samuel smiled and then drank another long drink of milk.

Then, he began,

“When I was but a lad; about eight to be exact, my ma got sick with the consumption. I had two little sisters and a little brother. My pa was a heavy drinker so he rarely brought any money home for us. Soon, it was time to pay the rent, but we hadn’t any money. Pa sent me to the mine manager’s office to ask for another month of grace. I didn’t want to, but I did and the man granted it with one condition; we had to pay the rent by next month or else we were going to be thrown out. So, that put a little fear on my whole family and my ma got worse. Pa still went to the pub, so we still didn’t get the money for the first week. Finally, ma told me, ‘Samuel, I don’t want to do this, but I must do something or we’ll starve and be put out of the house. I want you to go to Mr. Smith [the manager] and get yourself a job. If you must, tell him of our trouble. Make sure to include that I am sick.’ So, I did. The next morning at nine, I went down into the dark pit. After that, my pa took sick with Black Lung and ma died. So, I never left the pit.

When I was fifteen, my younger brother, who was now twelve, I started an uprising among the workers. We caused such a riot in the mine that the manager told us we were to be docked of a third of our pay for the rest of the month. We went about our work grumbling all that month, but, the next month, two boys, who were jealous of me, plotted another uprising. This time they were going to get all the other boys riled up and they were going to get them to overthrow Mr. Smith. Well, Mr. Smith heard about the plot and immediately nailed me as the culprit. It wasn’t long before I was out of a job and blacklisted; that means that I wasn’t allowed to work in any of the mines owned by Mr. Smith’s boss, Mr. Lane.” Lily interrupted here, “Lane?!” Samuel nodded, “Yes, Lane. Mr. Lane is still the owner of all those mines in Ireland even though he’s your neighbor.” Lily gasped and Samuel went on, “Anyway, I soon realized that there was no place that wasn’t owned by Mr. Lane, so I asked Mr. Smith where I should work in order to pay for my sisters’ rent. He told me that he was going to send me to America to work as a stablehand. He didn’t say anything about who I was working for, only where I was going. I told my sisters and before long, I was on my way. I met with a young Scotch pit boy and we became fast friends. He was on his way to Canada to work in mines there because he’d been blacklisted in Scotland, just like I had in Ireland. We stuck together through every adventure. But, one day, the smallpox broke out and took the lives of most of the passengers, crew and it almost took the captain. He survived, but my friend, Johnny, did not. He and Leslie are the only ones who have already heard my story.

            But, to get back to my story. You can imagine my shock when I arrived at Mr. Lane’s house and saw him. I had seen the man before, but I was not so shocked as then. He knew exactly who I was, but, instead of him punishing me directly, he put his daughter in charge of me. Now, Leslie is a beauty so, I thought that a sweet manner would come with that, but after I told her my story, she changed it and called me a “dirty Irish pit boy”. She would whip me for the littlest things and did many other cruel things to me. That’s why I wanted to run. Well, one day, I was standing out by the barn when I saw you working on the roof. I hadn’t seen anyone working on that roof for a while and I knew that it needed it. I suddenly thought that this could be my chance to escape from the Lane family cruelty, so I drove over. You know the rest.” Lily sighed, “Well, at least you are safer here than in the mine. And at least you are with us instead of the Lane’s.” Samuel nodded. Lily thought a moment and then said, “Samuel, I thought you said you’d only tell those you loved or trusted your story. Why did you tell me?” Samuel looked at her, “Well… you fit in the latter category.” Lily smiled and then they went inside. Now, Lily understood all about his wanting to escape Leslie. She also understood that Leslie was probably trying to pay him back for all the cruelty and wrong doings that her family had done to him. Lily was glad that she was a part of keeping his sisters under a roof.

            Samuel was relieved that he had told her his story and felt as though a load had fallen from his back by telling her. Now, he thought, I can rest in peace knowing that she will understand why I do what I do.

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  Sheilah

At 5 the next morning, Lily boarded the train and started for Virginia. Within two days, she was in Hampton and, after securing a hotel room at a place that had a stable, she went to the docks and waited for a certain ship to arrive. Finally, she heard the man at the front desk calling her name, “Lily Starr, the ship you’re waiting for is here.” She walked out to wait for her special cargo to be unloaded. At last, a short, grey Dartmoor pony walked down the gangplank and onto the dock. It had a tag hanging on a leather string that was tied about its neck that read “Lily Starr”. She walked up to the little pony and threw her arms about it. Lily had waited for a long time for this special pony.

            The next morning she started back for her home. She reached it safely and so did the pony. Lily took the little pony to down the road and started walking down the path that lead towards her home. Presently, she heard the sound of a motor and the pony began prancing and bucking. It had never heard that before. Lily calmed her and then looked up to see Leslie smiling at her. She stopped and helped Lily load the pony into the horse van. Then, they drove home. Lily was so excited! This pony was something special to her and she couldn’t wait to get her home.

            Presently, she heard Samuel’s truck coming and she ran to the door of the stable. He stopped and handed the groceries to Mrs. Starr, who took them in and put them away. Then, Samuel took his load to the barn. Lily stayed back so he wouldn’t notice her yet. But, when he’d finished and was heading over to Prairie Fire’s stall to say hi, Lily made her presence known. “Lily,” he exclaimed, “this is quite the surprise! I thought ye were still in Virginia!” Lily smiled and shook her head, “No, I didn’t. I had to come home. Now, close your eyes and no peeking.” Samuel closed his eyes and she led him to the pony’s stall, “Now, put your hand out.” He did and Lily put his hand on the little pony’s head, “You can open your eyes now.” Samuel opened his eyes and gasped, “What? How? Where did…Oh my!” The pony looked at him and then he said, “Ah, my little Sheilah. My beautiful pony.” Then he whistled quietly yet clearly to the pony. Sheilah immediately responded. Her ears went forward and she suddenly whinnied to him. Samuel, now beholding his beloved pony with tears in his eyes, put his arms about her neck and breathed in the scent of her coat, “Just like I remembered it. The smell of coal strong in your lovely coat. Well, you’ll never have to go into that mine again. I promise! Soon we’ll have you washed and just like new again.”

Lily watched the scene with tears streaming down her cheeks. It was a glad reunion for the long separated pair. She knew nothing of his past except that this pony was of great importance to him because that was what Leslie told her. Leslie had become friendlier and less rude and now she was helping Lily to give Samuel a little taste of his homeland. Already, Lily had learned to make Irish stew and Colcannon Potatoes. She had learned to make his coffee the way he liked and she had ordered things from Ireland and had them delivered to Samuel. Lily had, at Leslie’s direction, bought a tin lunch box and a tin canteen like the ones he’d once used in the mine. She’d also bought him a sweater woven in Ireland and a cap like the one he’d used in the mine. All those she had bought were accepted by Samuel with great joy, much to Lily’s happiness. Now, Samuel was ecstatic about his pony and Lily was about to walk away when Samuel said, “Lily, can you take a picture of us before I give ‘er a bath?” Lily nodded happily and then ran off to get her camera. She was back in a moment with her camera as well as Samuel’s mining equipment and a little package that had come with the horse. Samuel opened it to find his old miner’s clothes which he put on and, taking the pony’s halter, posed for a picture. Lily immediately went to her dark room to develop it and soon brought it out for Samuel to see. It was a very good pose and Samuel immediately had her put it up on the wall of his room while he put his pony in its stall. He patted her once more and then started for the house.

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  Trouble in the Meadow

No sooner had Prairie Fire been released when he let out a shrill scream that sent chills down Lily’s back. His scream was answered by Black Knight who reared struck out his forelegs in Prairie Fire’s direction. Prairie Fire and Black Knight charged forward with their heads down and leveled. The ground beneath them shook as they pounded towards each other. Lily covered her eyes, but only for a moment before Samuel shouted, “Look at them, Lily!” She looked and saw both stallions rear and strike at each other. Their ears were flattened against their heads and their tails were swishing madly. Prairie Fire tried to bite Black Knight, but the stallion swerved into the red and knocked him over. Black Knight reared and came down hard on the other again and again until he heard Lily’s voice calling him. He galloped with all speed to her and stopped just inches away from the fence where she stood.

            Lily patted his sweaty coat and spoke softly to him as she opened the gate to let him out. Samuel watched Prairie Fire stand shakily to his feet and slowly begin walking toward them. Then, the stallion picked up speed quickly and pounded towards them. Luckily, Samuel had seen the change in the stallion’s pace, so he slammed the gate shut behind Black Knight before the other could get at him.

            Then, one day, Samuel was in a hurry and he was half asleep. He put both stallions out in the pasture, got into his truck and drove away. Lily was in the kitchen eating breakfast without any thought of the horses because she too was half asleep. Then, her mother shouted from her room upstairs, “Lily! Get out to the pasture, quick! Fire and Black Knight are fighting again!” Lily became fully awake then and she ran outside just in time to see two other stallions from Leslie’s pasture join the fighting.  

            Lily called to her stallion, but he wouldn’t listen and kept fighting. She whistled and called his name a dozen times, but he still would not come. Lily became very upset and ran back to the house to call Leslie. Leslie answered and, when she heard what had occurred, she hung up in a hurry, ran out the door and drove in her horse van to Lily’s house. The two girls ran out to the pasture and ran to the corner where they would be nearest the stallions. They both began calling their horses’ names until the fight came to an abrupt stop at the sound of their mistresses’ voices. Black Knight was the first one to respond and soon Prairie Fire followed.

            That evening, Lily told Jedidiah all about it and he laughed when he heard about the extra fighters. He told her that was what stallions do and not to worry. Lily felt calmed until Samuel came home. Then, she angrily told him the story then asked, “Why did you put them in the pasture at the same time? What were you thinking?” Samuel looked down at his shoes and studied them, “Well, I was half asleep and I didn’t know exactly what I was doin’.” Lily frowned and Samuel looked at her pleadingly, “Please, forgive me. I promise not to do that again. Please, don’t fire me!” Lily’s face softened into a sweet smile, “Of course I forgive you. I was just upset because Black Knight and Fire could have been killed by those older stallions. I’m sorry that I got so angry.” Samuel smiled and said, “Aww, that’s ok, lass. I just got yer temper fired up. Now, let’s go tend to the stallions.” Lily agreed, “I’m heading out for Hampton, Virginia tomorrow morning. So, we’d better get done quickly so I can pack and go to bed early.” Samuel nodded and they went about the chores until they were done and then Lily went upstairs and packed. Then she went to bed.

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  Prairie Fire

The days following that dreadful visit from Leslie were rather dull and quiet. The hot summer sun beat down mercilessly upon them and dried most of the grass. There had been very little rain that month and the weather forecasters were all saying the same thing, “Sunny for the rest of the week.” Lily grew tired of the boring life that summer brought to her and sought for something that would create a little more fun. Finally, one evening, she switched on the television set. When the screen came on, she immediately was at attention. There in front of her eyes was a long line of horses in a race! She watched the race all the way to the finish and then she listened to the name of the winner. It was a beautiful colt named Black Gold. She sat in awe as she watched the beautiful horse walk into the Winner’s Circle and then, when the show was over, she went to her room and wrote a letter to the news press asking for the address to the Churchill Downs staff. The reply came swiftly and she immediately wrote to them.

To Whom It May Concern:

     I have a horse that, I think, has a lot of potential for the Derby. What do I have to do to enter him? He’s a three year old Arabian stallion by the name of Black Knight.

If he’s not eligible for the Derby, then, could you help me find a race that he could enter?

I’d be much obliged if you could reply very soon.

Thank you very much.

                        Sincerely,

                        Lily Starr

 For the next few days, Lily rode Black Knight often to keep him in shape and ready to run. She checked the mail every day to see if the reply had come yet, but was always disappointed. But, one day, she checked in with a little hope and, sure enough, there was the reply on the bottom of the stack. She tore it open quickly and then read:

Dear Lily,

     If your horse is papered and is a purebred, then, yes, it’s eligible. A horse may not race without papers. We may help you with finding out information if you don’t already have it. Also, we have enclosed a list of races and their addresses for you.

We hope that we have been of help to you. Thank you for taking the time to write.

              Sincerely,

          The Staff at the Churchill Downs  Racetrack

Lily was overjoyed and she ran to the house to write down all she knew about the horse. She didn’t have papers and she knew that it would be hard to find, but she would try, at least. So, after she wrote what she knew, she sent the information in.

A few days later, Samuel came back from spending a week in Lexington. He arrived in a horse van with his truck hooked up with chains behind it. Lily ran out to meet him and to see what he had in the van. Samuel met her with a grave look on his face, “I hope you don’t get angry with me, but I’ve brought somebody else’s horse here.” Lily’s eyes widened, “What do you mean? Please, explain.” He nodded, “I offered to board this horse for a man from Louisville. He lives in an apartment, but he really wanted this horse, so I offered to board him here.” Lily frowned, “Him?” Samuel nodded, “It’s a stallion by the name of Prairie Fire.” Lily looked at the horse and said, “Well, he’s a fine horse that’s for sure. I can see one reason they named him that. He’s red and his eyes are sparkling.” Samuel nodded and led the horse out.

            Prairie Fire was an attractive, glossy, reddish Thoroughbred who stood 15 hands tall. Lily loved the way his coat looked and the way he stood, but his eyes were far too bright and sparkling. They seemed to show that he was definitely trouble.

            They led him to the stable where Samuel fed him and then led him out to the pasture to see how fast he could run.

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  Leslie Lane

One day, Samuel and Lily were cleaning out Black Knight and Old Jake’s stalls when they heard the clip-clopping of a horse’s hooves on the driveway. Samuel put down his rake and went to see who it was. He came back in a hurry with a very dark frown on his face. Lily looked at him, “What’s wrong, Samuel?” He glanced at her and then grabbed his rake again, “That girl is here.” Lily gasped and then put the rake away. She filled the stall with new hay and then left the stable. Samuel stayed in the stable brusquely cleaning out Old Jake’s stall. He didn’t want to get near that girl for anything. Lily couldn’t understand the reason why, but she put it down as being wary of the girl because of her rude and annoying manner.

            In the house, after Lily had washed her hands and changed her clothes, she went to the kitchen where she heard her mother talking with the girl. The girl looked up at her from where she was sitting and so did Lily’s mother. Lily glared at the girl and asked, “What do you want?” The girl sat up very straight and answered haughtily, “I am here to see if you would allow me to take back Samuel to my farm for a great amount of money.” Lily gasped, “This is America, girl, not England or India! You have to ask him if he wants to work for you.” The girl frowned, “I know that you think it’s as easy as that, but it’s not. I had made a pact with him that as long as I lived at my father’s house, I would be his employer and he would be the head of the stables. He’s not kept his end of that. He left my farm and, obviously, never came back. Samuel is a bad sort and he’s Irish.” Lily glared fiercely at her, “Well, no wonder he didn’t come back. You’re so rude that nobody would want to work for you. As for him being Irish, I don’t see anything wrong with that. And I don’t believe that he’s bad. You’re just saying that.” The girl sniffed and continued, “I don’t suppose he’s told you his history. I am the only person in this world, besides his family and old friends, who knows the full story.” Lily looked at her doubtfully. Samuel had said that he only told the people he trusted or loved about his past. “He wouldn’t have told you. You’re too rude for that.” The girl smiled smugly, “And how do you know he didn’t?” Lily frowned, “Because he said he only tells those he trusts…” The girl interrupted, “Or someone he loves. I’ve heard that many times before from him.” Lily nodded and the girl continued, “I was one of those trusted ones. He never loved me and likely he never will. I caused that, of course, but, anyway, he did tell me all about his past. So, if he hasn’t already told you it’s because you are not one of either category and he probably is only working for you to escape me and his past as well as for the money. He probably thinks he will get you to trust him enough until he can easily swipe something from you without you knowing. For instance, that black horse. He loves horses and ponies, so anything he can do to have his very own is what he will do; even horse thieving. As I said before, he’s a very bad sort.” Lily shook her head in disbelief. She didn’t believe anything this girl was saying. It certainly didn’t sound like Samuel. The girl stood, “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, I must go. Good day and I hope that you will come to your senses in time.”

            Lily watched her go and then asked her mother, “What was that girl saying to you?” Mrs. Starr answered, “She told me that her name is Leslie Lane and that she wanted to take Sam from us for a large sum of money. Just like she told you. But, I wouldn’t agree to it. She told me exactly what she just got through telling you. I don’t like her and I certainly don’t trust her. We better watch out in case she tries something.”  Lily agreed. There was no telling what a girl like Leslie could do to them. She feared that it might have an impact on her horse. Would Leslie try to harm Black Knight? Is what she said true? Lily didn’t know the answers, but she knew that, within the next few months, she would know.

Lily went out to the barn a few minutes later and found Samuel sitting on the top rail of the pasture fence on the other side of the barn. Lily knew he was thinking because that’s what he did every time he thought. She climbed the fence and sat down beside him. He glanced at her then, turning his face back toward the pasture, he asked, “What did she want? Did she want me to go back?” Lily nodded, “Yes, Samuel, she did. I told her that she would have to ask you.” He looked at her knowing that there was more because he sensed it, “What else did she say?” Lily frowned, “She said you were just working here to escape her and your past. She said that you just wanted the money and to boost our trust in you so it would make it easier to swipe what you wanted from us. Black Knight was the main one she referred and she said that you loved horses and ponies. Leslie told me that you told her your whole story.” He frowned, “Aye, that I did, but now I wish that I hadn’t. She’s used it against me at every chance since then. An’ it’s helped ‘er to have more of that feelin’ of superiority.” Lily nodded. Samuel jumped down from the fence and began walking around the pasture. Lily followed. They walked in silence for some time before they finally walked back to the house. Just before they walked inside, Samuel said, “I’m never goin’ back. Ever.”

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Runaway!

Lily lay in her bed with the alarm clock clanging in her ears. She didn’t feel like getting up and was feeling rather lazy at the moment. Finally, she turned off the clock, got up and went to change her clothes. When she finished, she ran down the stairs and headed out the door. On the steps she was met by Samuel who was running frantically toward her. Lily asked what was wrong and he answered her, “It’s Black Knight. He’s gone! I don’t know how, but he’s gone!” Both of them ran to the pasture and spotted the stallion just as he jumped a broken part of the fence. Lily called to him, but he was too far away so he kept galloping.

            Samuel and Lily drove down the road to the neighbor’s pasture and then stopped by the fence. Lily jumped out and called to Black Knight, for she saw him galloping close enough to hear her. He stopped and whirled around, saw her, and then went trotting up to the fence. Lily spoke softly to him and eased herself onto the stallion’s back. Black Knight tossed his head a little, but Lily patted him and made him walk. They were almost to the gate when she heard a mean sounding voice asking, “What do you think you’re doing in my pasture?” Lily turned and saw a thin girl standing on the front porch of her house with her hands on her hips. Lily turned Black Knight toward her and walked up to the house. The girl stood still as stone and said nothing more until Black Knight was standing directly in front of her. “Aren’t you that girl that lives up the hill?” Lily nodded and the girl scowled, “You wouldn’t happen to have a worker there by the name of, Samuel Curran, would you?” Lily looked at her and then turned her head at the sound of a motor behind her.

Samuel got out of his truck and said tersely, “Let Lily alone, brute. She’s got to get the horse home and your pasture is just fine, miss.” The girl sniffed, “I don’t believe my ears. You never would have talked that way to me if you were my employee. You’ve sure got braves since I last saw ya.” Samuel glared at her, “So, I’m not your employee anymore. I am employed by Mrs. Starr and her daughter, Lily. Now, we will leave so that we don’t annoy you further. Come on Lily.” Lily turned and galloped off. Samuel followed in his truck.

            Lily put Black Knight in his stall and gave him a good grooming. She couldn’t understand why her neighbor girl had to be so upset and rude. Something must have happened between her and Samuel. I am going to find out about it sooner or later. Lily thought about it for some time and then her thoughts were interrupted by Samuel’s voice saying, “I am sorry that I sounded so rude. I don’t mean to be that way, but she’s the most angering girl in Kentucky!” Lily nodded and looked into his face questioningly. He seemed to have read her thoughts for he said, “No, I can’t talk about it right now. Like I said on my first night here; I only tell those who I know for certain I can trust and those who I love.” Lily nodded in disappointment and continued putting the grooming supplies away while Samuel talked to Black Knight. Soon he said, “I’ll have to get out there an’ fix that fence if we want to keep Black Knight in the pasture.” Lily agreed so they both went out to fix the fence.

            The days after the escape of Black Knight were spent in silence and thought. Lily hardly spoke to anyone except to her mother and then that only a little. Her mother was worried at first, but then, after talking about it with Lily, she decided that there was nothing to worry about and that everything would be gotten over soon. And she was right. Within a month, Lily and Samuel were talking to each other like they used to and were teasing like always as well. Mrs. Starr was glad that they were finished being silent because she had just begun to feel as though they would always be silent. She now knew not to ask Samuel anything about his past or about the neighbor girl even though she was very curious and almost couldn’t stand it.

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Here is a list of books I’ve read:

Hoofbeats (the Lara series and the Katie series) by Kathleen Duey

The Horse from the Sea

The Hope Chest: A Legacy of Love (not a romance)

Sergeant York and the Great War

The Orphan Train Trilogy by Al and Joanna Lacy

The Orphan Train Adventures by Joan Lowery Nixon

Spirit: the Stallion of Cimarron series by Kathleen Duey

Lad: A Dog

Dear America series

Royal Diaries series (Mary, Queen of Scots, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Anastasia, and Victoria)

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (she’s the one the story’s about)

The Martha Years (Laura’s great- grandmother from Scotland)

The Charlotte Years (Laura’s grandmother)

The Caroline Years (Laura’s mother)

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

(Listed in order) Little Women, Little Men, and Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott

Big Red series

Elsie Dinsmore series

Mandie series

A Gown of Spanish Lace by Jannette Oke

Emily series by L.M. Montgomery (authoress of the Anne of Green Gables series)

The Devil’s Arithmetic (The title sounds bad, but it is actually a very good book about the Holocaust)

Daughters of Destiny by Noelle Wheeler

George Mueller

Lyddie (the movie is better)

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Longest Shot: Lil E. Tee and the Kentucky Derby by John Eisenberg

The Last Empress by Greg King (The life of the last empress, Alexandra Feodorovna, of Russia; Anastastia’s mother)

Seattle Slew by Barton Silverman

Ann Rinaldi

Nine Days a Queen

Letters from Rifka

An Unlikely Friendship (a neat historical fiction book about Mary Todd Lincoln)

The Secret of Sarah Revere

The Last Silk Dress

Or Give Me Death

The G.A. Henty

Cat of Bubastes

Winning His Spurs

Under Drake’s Flag

In Freedom’s Cause

The Dragon and the Raven

With Lee in Virginia

A Knight of the White Cross

In the Irish Brigade

St. Bartholomew’s Eve

In the Heart of the Rockies

Walter Farley

The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion Returns

The Black Stallion’s Filly

The Black Stallion and Flame

Daughters of the Faith

Almost Home: the Story Based on the Life of Mayflower’s Mary Chilton

Courage to Run: the Story Based on the Life of Harriet Tubman

Shadow of His Hand: the Story Based on the Life of Holocaust Survivor Anita Dittman

The Tinker’s Daughter: A Story Based on the Life of Mary Bunyan

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The next few days, Lily and Samuel took care of Old Jake and Jedidiah would bring little treats after he worked each day. He did little jobs for stores and shops each day and sometimes he’d use Old Jake for them. Lily enjoyed hearing the black man talk in his Southern accent and she loved to hear him talking lovingly to his old mule. Samuel watched the old man every day and soon became fast friends with him. Lily watched Samuel to see if he’d ever get close to betraying something else mysterious to add to her list of things. One day, she got lucky and saw him hooking the mule to the wagon that Jedidiah used for his deliveries. There was nothing special about it at first, but then she heard Jedidiah ask, “How do you know dat? I didn’t know you knew how ta hitch up dis heah wagon.” Samuel only shook his head. So, he won’t tell Jedidiah either, she thought. 

            Lily walked to the store as often as she could in order to buy things to fix up the barn some more. Soon, she bought fencing as well as nails to make their pasture fit in with the other Kentucky pastures along the road. She painted them white and added an entrance to her house with a white lattice archway. She was very happy with the result and so was her mother. Samuel helped put up the fence all the way around the pasture and even Jedidiah helped paint the fence. Meanwhile, Black Knight and Old Jake galloped about the field with little effort.  Even though Jake was galloping very fast, though, he could never quite match the speed of the young stallion. It was obvious that Black Knight was built to run.

Black Knight and Old Jake were almost an inseparable pair and they loved to race each other in the pasture. Old Jake was a little gray, fat, gentle, and quiet mule while Black Knight was tall, black, muscular, wild, very hyper and had just the right thinness that he needed to fly over the ground. They were so different yet they got along quite well. Lily loved that and was glad that Black Knight had such a good companion. Jedidiah often was rewarded by a very slobbery lick from Black Knight because the stallion knew he was the owner of his friend. Samuel was regarded as a trusted friend by both Old Jake and Black Knight and he could clean their stalls even if they were still in them. Samuel even took a nap with Black Knight, he was so trusted. But, no horse loved Lily better than Black Knight did. He would kick up his heels in the pasture every time she came out and he would whinny and stomp in his stall when he heard her voice nearing. Jedidiah told Lily that not many people were so lucky to have such a wild, big horse love them and Lily loved to hear that. Samuel was loved second most by Black Knight and no horse had ever loved him as much as Black Knight since the death of his pit pony in Ireland.

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            Lily and her mother traveled back to their house forty miles away. It seemed like forever since she had seen anything fully green and beautiful. All the green she’d seen for a long while was the coconut trees, seaweed and the little bitty sprigs of grass growing along the shore. None of that had been very beautiful. Not like the bluegrass of Kentucky. She looked at the white fences that were whirring by and saw many horses. Lily knew that this was horse country and was glad that her mother had decided to move there. At there old home in New York, Black Knight would have had to board somewhere, and Lily hadn’t the money for that. Here in Kentucky, Black Knight would be sleeping at there house in a barn of their own with a pasture to run in during the day. Lily was happy when she laid her head on her pillow that night. Even though she knew there would be much to fix on the old barn, it was enough to know that Black Knight was close by. Lily always felt safer and happier when he was close to her.

The next morning, Lily began making arrangements for Black Knight to stay in the barn. Lily began on the stall he was going to stay in. The wood door had warped and was moldy, there was very old hay on the ground, and the feed box was crusted with mud and rust. She went to the store and bought a new feed box, new lumber, and sixteen bales of hay. Lily then went back home and began working on the stall. As the sun began disappearing behind the mountains behind the stable, Lily led Black Knight into his new stall. He was a little nervous at first, but he soon relaxed and began eating from the new feed box. Lily smiled and then went inside to supper.

            The following morning, Lily turned Black Knight out to pasture and then tore all the old shingles off the barn roof. As she hammered the first few new shingles on, a muddy, loud truck drove up the driveway and parked in front of the barn. Lily looked down at the truck and watched it to see who would be visiting at this time of day. Her mom came out to see as well and asked the driver, “May I help you?” The driver, who was a young man, answered as he removed his cap, “Ma’am, I’m stayin’ in the house down the hill from here. My name’s Samuel Curran and I came to see if the person up there would like some help.” He motioned to the barn roof and Lily nodded to her mother when he turned his back to her. “Yes, Samuel, you can help. But, what would you require for payment?” Samuel thought a moment and then, “Well, ma’am. I’d be much obliged if you could allow me to at least sleep in the loft and eat oats. Do you mind?” Lily giggled a little and her mother said with a look of horror, “Absolutely not. I won’t pay you any such thing. But, rather, I will pay you better than that. You may sleep in the house and eat what we eat at our table.” Samuel beamed and bowed low, “Thank ye ma’am fer yer kindness. I’m much obliged and I agree to do whatever ye want me to do.” Lily smiled and turned back to her work. Presently, Samuel was up on the roof hammering away at the roof with her.

At supper that evening, Lily and Samuel sat across from each other. Lily’s mother was at the head of the table and, after asking the blessing over the food, she passed the food around. Lily finally asked, “Samuel, where are you from? You talk like you’re from someplace foreign.” Samuel smiled, “Well, lass. I bet ye can guess if ye really tried hard enough.” Lily looked puzzled for a while then guessed, “Ireland?” Samuel winked at her, “Aye that it is. Ireland’s me homeland and I’m right proud o’ that. Came over two years ago on a ship. ‘T were a long an’ tirin’ trip fer sure.” Lily nodded and then told of her trip. He looked at her gravely, “A good thing that horse helped ye when he did, or ye might ‘ave been lost on the sea. Or, worse, drowned like a little mouse.” Lily nodded again and then continued eating in silence for a while, and then her mother asked, “What were you doing at my neighbor’s house? Are they your relatives?” Samuel grimaced and shook his head, “No. An’ I wouldn’t claim them if they were. Awful place is that neighbor’s house.” Lily looked surprised, “What’s so awful about it?”

“One thing, they were workin’ me like as if I were a pit pony like the one I had at home. Two, they had too many cows to milk. Twenty to be exact. Third thing is, well, they’re lazy and fat.”

“Anything else?”

“As if it weren’t enough.”

“No, really.”

“Hhhh. I don’t really want to say it.”

“What is it? I’m dying to know!”

“Ok. They have a daughter.”

“And…”

“And she’s real pretty.”

“Yes?”

“Well, she’s pretty, but she knows that she is.”

“Oh. I see. That’s not very nice, but that helps make it awful?”

“Aye, she has a little nose and it’s always in the air. She hates people who aren’t from Kentucky like her.”

“Really?!”

“Aye, lass, an’ isn’t she the very little bit of dust that makes her papa angry at me all the time.”

“How?”

“By telling that I take naps at noon. Which I’ve not done in ten years.”

“Ten years? You’re being mysterious. I heard you mention a pit pony that you had.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. ‘T would be to hard for me. I only tell someone that I trust and love. Only one has ever heard my story an’ that’s my friend, Johnny, who died at sea on the way over. He was from Scotland and a pit boy himself. Now, I’ve said a lot and I’m tired. Might I go to bed now, Mrs. Starr?”

Lily’s mother nodded and he left the room. Lily sat in deep thought for sometime and then she too went to bed. I wonder what his story is and if I am ever going to hear it.

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Rejection from a publisher is not very nice, but at least they read what I wrote, right? So, I am going to search for somebody that will publish a story of mine. Maybe Black Knight will be a fortunate story.

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Rescued and Searching

Lily and Black Knight explored the island every day and, soon, Lily knew every pool of water and every good fishing spot. Black Knight stayed by her side when Lily was awake, but, before she awoke each morning, he would gallop the beaches by himself and explore on his own. By the time Lily woke up, he was back by her side and ready to be with her for the rest of the day.

Sometimes, Lily and Black Knight had to hurry to their cave because it had begun to storm. Black Knight would lie down on the floor of the cave and let Lily lay her head on him for comfort. She felt safer when she did that and the stallion loved to have her close to him. Lily loved the stallion and she always enjoyed the rain. She would watch it falling outside their cave and wonder what new treasures she would find on the seashore afterwards. There was always something. Sometimes there were almost thirty seashells, or a few starfish, and even a pool of fish. Lily liked it most when there was a pool of fish because that made it easier to catch the little fish. She always took them all back to her cave and cooked up a little meal for lunch or dinner. Those were delicious meals!

            Black Knight always helped her when she was in need of more coconuts. Lily picked just enough to carry back to the cave and no more than that. She didn’t want them to spoil before she had a chance to taste them. Black Knight helped her eat them, too.

They were having so much fun living on that island that Lily almost forgot about wanting to be rescued. But, one day, everything changed.

            Lily ran back to her stallion, hopped on his back and galloped down the little bit of land that jutted out into the sea. The water there was very deep; deep enough for a ship to come safely to her. The little boat went back to the ship and then the ship began sailing toward Lily! After an hour, Lily and Black Knight were on the ship headed for New York.

When Lily arrived in New York, she dialed the number to her house so she could tell her mom that she was coming home. “Hello,” said an unfamiliar croaky woman’s voice, “who is this?”

Lily answered, “Um, I am calling to talk to my mom. Is she there?” 

“Who is this?”

“My name is Lily Starr.”

 “Well, your mother isn’t here.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Miz Starr has moved to Kentucky. I don’t know her number.”

“Thank you.”

“Bye.”

“Good…”

“Click.”

Lily hung up the phone and thought for a moment, and then she decided to call her mom’s neighbor, Miss Alice. After talking to Miss Alice for a while, Lily finally got the number to her mom’s new house in Kentucky which she called and her mom answered in a puzzled voice.

“Hello?”

“Hi, mama, it’s Lily.”

“Lily?!”

“Yea, I’m way up here in New York.”

“I don’t live there anymore.”

“I just found that out. The lady who answered told me.”

“Sorry, baby. At least you found me now.”

“Yea.”

“How are you? Where’ve you been?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been on an island all this time.”

“Wow! That sounds like a real adventure.”

“It isn’t much of anything.”

“When are you coming out here?”

“Miss Alice is going to send me by train out to Louisville tonight.”

“Great!”

“Mom?”

“Yea, honey?”

“Did Dad ever get home?”

“No, darling, he didn’t.”

Lily cried for a while and then continued, “I better go now. I’ve got to head out to Miss Alice’s.”

“Bye, baby. See you in Louisville.”

“You going to meet me there? If you are, please bring a horse trailer.”

“Yes. I’ll head out as soon as I am off the phone,

 so I better let you go. I’ll make sure to bring that horse trailer.”

“Bye.”

“Goodbye, Lily.”

Lily hung up, sprang out of her chair, and ran to Miss Alice’s house. She passed her old house on the way and she stopped to look at it. How many memories had she made in that house? It felt like ages ago that she’d seen it. Actually, it had been a whole year. Lily sighed and walked on until she reached Miss Alice’s front door. Miss Alice welcomed her in and began talking about how she needed to hurry because the train was leaving in an hour. Lily went to the bathroom to get washed up and Alice gave her a change of clothes. Lily looked at herself before she did so and saw how messy her clothes looked. She looked like she’d never had a bath in her whole life and her clothes were tight and ragged and torn. She changed and then went out to join Miss Alice’s mad rush to get out the door.

In half an hour, the train pulled out of the station and headed for Louisville. Lily had helped load Black Knight into a cattle car and then she’d gone to her seat in the passenger car. It wouldn’t be long before Lily would be with her mother again. She could hardly wait! She sat looking out the window until she fell asleep.

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  Stranded 

       Lily was deep in sleep when she was suddenly thrown from her bed and slammed against the wall. She tried to stand, but she kept slipping. Her hair and her nightgown were wet and cold. The floor rocked beneath her and water seeped into the room from under the door. Lily finally got to her feet and walked back to her bed. She dressed and started for the door. The door swung open and water splashed in and soaked her once again. Lily waded through the water to the stairs and she climbed them to the second floor of the ship.

          On the deck of the second floor, water was splashing and men were lined up from the public bathroom to the stairs leading to the top deck. They were all in an assembly line trying to put out a fire that had started on the top deck. They had to use bathroom water because the salt water was like fuel. Lily’s father hurried over to her, strapped a life vest on her and told her to stay. Lily tried to ask why all the water was all over the place, but he ran to join the line without a word. Suddenly, she was shoved to the side by the black stallion as he galloped by. The Arabian men were running after him, but the water and the way the ship was tilting hampered their movements. Lily began racing after the stallion as fast as she could. Finally, she grabbed his lead rope and began petting the panicked stallion to calm him. Unexpectedly, the ship’s side dropped so swiftly that both she and the stallion were thrown off balance and into the sea.

            The ocean was churning as the ship was going down and Lily kept trying to see where she was. She only knew that she was cold, wet and scared. Somewhere close by, the stallion was screaming and thrashing in the water. Lily turned and saw him swimming toward her, so she kept herself afloat until he got there. The stallion swam to her side and then, after she had got a hold on his mane, he swam with great effort away from the sinking ship. Lily held on tight as they went further and further away from the ship. She took one last look just in time to see the ship’s front sail catch on fire.

                                                                                  * * * * * * * * * * * * *

            Lily felt water lapping gently against her face and she felt the warmth of the sun on her dark head. She opened her eyes and saw that she was on an island. Lily sat up and dusted off her sandy face. She looked around and saw a palm tree with coconuts on it. Suddenly, she realized how hungry and thirsty she was, so she walked over to the tree. Lily looked up at the coconuts far above her and wondered how in the world she would be able to reach them. She tried to climb the tree, but there was sharp bark on the tree, so she gave that up.

            Lily had just sat down in the sand to think of what to do when she heard the thumping of hooves galloping on the sand. She turned around to see the black stallion coming towards her. Lily stood to her feet and the stallion stopped. She looked up at the coconuts and then back at him, “I am so thirsty! But, how will I ever get up there?” The stallion looked up at the coconuts and then back at her. He stepped forward and turned so that his side was facing her. “What do you want?” she asked. He looked at her and nickered softly. Lily jumped up on his back, but he still stood there. He nickered again. Lily looked up at the coconuts and then a thought struck her. She was close enough to the coconuts now to reach them if she stood up. Lily stood carefully on the stallion’s back and picked the coconuts. Then, she jumped off his back onto the sand again.     

“Now,” she said to the stallion, “what are we going to do to open them?” As if in reply, the stallion kicked one gently away from the others, reared and came down just hard enough to hit the coconut without breaking it completely. Lily heard a loud crack and saw the juices of the coconut oozing out of the hard shell. The stallion rolled it toward her with his nose and waited. Lily picked it up, and, as soon as she did so, it broke in half. Lily drank the juice from one half, and then held up the other to the stallion. He drank it all quickly then began eating the fruit. Lily did the same.

            After their little meal, the two wandered about the island, exploring the land to see what they might find. Presently, Lily saw a cave, so she walked over and found that it was large enough for both the stallion and herself to fit inside with room enough for more coconuts. Lily determined that this cave would be their home until rescue came for the two. Lily filled the cave with coconuts, using the same method she’d used for the first ones, until she had enough to last three breakfasts. “I don’t know about you, Knight, but coconut is just not enough to fill my belly all day long. Let’s see what else there is.”  She climbed up on Black Knight’s back and let him take her wherever he pleased. He took her to a little pool of water, made by the ocean waves, where some seaweed grew. Little fish were swimming around in it trying to get back to the ocean and there were enough of them to make it hard for them to move around very easily. Lily hopped down from the stallion’s back and began searching for a stick, which she found after a little while. She then thrust the stick into the water with all her might. At first, she didn’t get anything because she didn’t thrust the stick in the right way. But, after a while, she found that if she slanted the stick slightly as she thrust it in the water, it would stick a fish and she made a catch. This she did until she finally caught and killed all the fish. Now Lily had enough to make two meals that would go along with her coconuts.

That night, as Lily sat in the cave with the stallion, she cooked her fish over a little fire she’d made in the entrance of her cave. Her clothes were dry now, but the cave was in the shade, so it had little warmth in it. Lily shivered as she watched her little fishes cook and listened to the waves lapping against the seashore. Lily had taken special care to find the tide line in the sand and had found that her little cave would be safe from flooding. She looked up at the stallion and watched him as he stood looking at the entrance of the cave. He reminded her of a real knight from the medieval days protecting the princess from harm. She smiled to herself as she removed the fish from the fire. Lily ate the tender meat off the fish and enjoyed the crisp crunch that sounded when she did so. She had rinsed the fish in salt water, so it had just enough salt to make her mouth water. She drank a little coconut milk and then continued eating until all the fish she’d cooked was gone. Then Lily went to sleep on the floor of the cave.

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Here are a few points about it:

v     We will be sending a new issue out every other month.

v     To spark interest, we will send one free sample issue to everyone who wishes to receive it.

v     Prices are only set to pay for postage, ink, paper, etc. not for gain.

v     This newsletter is written in hopes that it will help all who read it.

v     The King’s Daughters is for girls ages 10 and up. (Mothers are welcome to have one too, whether they have daughters or not. This may help you all too!)

v     Only girls in this Message will be reading it.

v     This newsletter will be sent out all over the United States and to Scotland and the Philippenes in hopes that it will be of help and will draw girls closer to Christ.

If you are at all interested, please, let me know and we will send you a free sample issue. (Please include your mailing address!)

Your Sister in Christ,

Lydia Dominguez

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  Black Knight 

            Lily Starr and her father stood on the deck of the Orion looking out across the waves. The ship was nearing the shores of Arabia and Lily was thrilled. She had never seen Arabia before, so she could hardly wait, even if she was just going to look at it from the ship. (Her father wasn’t planning to disembark.) 

            Finally, the ship docked and Lily watched as passengers boarded the ship while others went ashore. She was fascinated by the many colors decorating the rich, Arabian passengers. Suddenly, she heard a loud, shrill neighing of a horse. Lily scanned the docks from where she stood until she finally found the source. A magnificent black horse was being led up the ramp of the ship. His coat was dripping with sweat and the whites of his eyes were clearly visible. Lily felt a terrible rage go through her heart as she watched two men whipping the horse and yanking him up the ramp. Hot tears came into her eyes and she ran to the cabin she shared with her father. Lily lay crying on the bed until she fell fast asleep.

            The next morning, Lily awoke to the shrill neighing. She sprang from her bed and ran out to find the place where that beautiful stallion was. As she neared the sound, she began hearing the shouts of Arabian men and the cracking of a whip. Slowly, cautiously, Lily snuck in and, peeking around the corner, she watched them. The black horse reared and pawed the air, trying to strike at the men who held him. One man, who looked the most important, held a whip in his hand and was shouting to the other men. Each time the horse reared, the man whipped him. But, the more the stallion was whipped the more he reared and struck out at the men with his hooves. Finally, the man stopped whipping the stallion, shouted something to the men and walked out. The other men put the stallion into a stall and left.

            Lily looked around to make sure all was safe and then she crept up to the stall and peered in. The stallion had calmed and was blowing the hay on the floor of his stall. He was still a little upset. Lily reached out to pet him, but he saw her hand and jumped away.  She talked softly to him, “It’s ok, boy, it’s ok. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” Suddenly, a knife struck the board above her head. Lily whirled around to see the important man glaring at her. She hurried away from the stall and ran out the door. He shouted after her, “If I catch you with my horse again, I promise you, I will kill you!”

            For the rest of the afternoon, Lily wandered about the ship. She was rather bored but she didn’t mind it much. Most of the time she thought about the stallion, but she also wondered where the ship’s next destination would be. Then, tired of walking around the ship, Lily went to the cabin and lay on her bed. She thought about the things that could possibly happen to her if she was to have the stallion until she couldn’t think of anything else. Finally, that night, she couldn’t stand it any longer; she had to see that horse again!

            Lily walked quietly down the corridor towards the room that had the stallion’s stall in it. She passed the Arabians’ room on the way, so she pressed her ear to the door and heard the distinct voice of the important man talking roughly to the others. Lily hurried rapidly until she reached the stall, then she stood on a block of wood that was by the window and peeked in. She watched the stallion while he slept and then put a little piece of carrot on the ledge of his stall. She whispered gently, “Good boy. Here’s a carrot for you.” Then, hearing the Arabian voices coming, she hurried out the door on the other end and went to find her father.

            Lily’s father sat on his bed playing his harmonica and looking at a picture of Lily’s mother. Lily walked over to him and looked at the picture too. Lily’s mother was in New York, waiting for the two of them to return. She hadn’t come with them because she was going to visit her mother in England at the time. Lily missed her mother, but she was also enjoying life with her traveling father. The two had traveled across Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia, and India together. There was much to see in the many countries they had visited and now they were on their way back to America.

            Lily’s father stopped playing the harmonica, looked at Lily and asked, “Remember the tall tale your mom told you?”  Lily nodded. How could she forget that wild story about the young white man who had raced across the Arabian Desert against the best riders in the country? He had ridden a black stallion and had won. She said, “Yes, of course.” Lily’s father smiled and continued, “I wonder if that young stallion is the same one.” Lily smiled, “I highly doubt that.” Her father leaned back against the wall and looked at her, “What do you call that stallion?” Lily thought a moment and then replied, “Black…Black…” Her father finished, “Knight.” Lily smiled, “Yes, that’s it. Black Knight. After that black stallion that won the Desert race.” Her father nodded and then told her it was time for bed. Lily did so and fell asleep dreaming of the beautiful black stallion in the stall.

Want me to write more?

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Catherine Parr was the sixth and very last wife of King Henry VIII. The daughter of Sir Thomas Parr, controller of the king's household, Catherine was twice widowed before marrying Henry in 1543. She acted as regent for him while he campaigned in France (1544) and was influential in restoring his daughters, the future queens Mary I and Elizabeth I, to his favor; she helped educate both of them. A Protestant sympathizer, Catherine protected from persecution those who dissented from Catholic doctrine. She was often caught by Elizabeth reading tracts that were passed out by Protestants. After Henry's death and the accession of Edward VI, she married the new king's uncle, Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley. She died in 1548 at the age of 36.

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WHERE.I.THINK.PENTECOST.FAILED            SAN.FERNANDO.CA  55-1111

    I'm reminded of a little Irish woman come across the sea here some time ago, and she was on her road over here. The jazz bands on the ship was all playing, you know, and going on. And after while there come a great storm, and they sent out SOS calls and so forth.

And the captain run down, he said, "Stop your playing a minute." Said, "We just received word from New York. If we can't hold out thirty minutes, we're going to the bottom of the sea." Said, "Change your music." Said, "All of you pray."

And everybody fell on their knees, and the bands begin to play "Nearer My God To Thee." And all of them begin to pray, and the ship rocking back and forth, and pitching through the waves. The little old Irish mother with a long dress on, long sleeves, and long hair, walked up-and-down was hollering, "Hallelujah. Hallelujah."

When they said, "Why don't you pray, woman?"

She said, "I'm already prayed up. I'm ready." That's right. Walk with Him; be ready.

So after while, they kept on, the captain come back and he said, "Lady, what's the matter with you?"

Said, "Oh, I'm so happy."

Said, "Did you understand what I said? If this ship don't hold out, if it holds out--won't hold out thirty minutes, we're going to the bottom of the sea."

She said, "I understood it. Hallelujah."

Said, "What do you mean by that, woman?"

Said, "I'm praising God."

Said, "And you going to the... might be in the bottom of the sea in fifteen minutes from now?"

Said, "Sure." Said, "I'm on my road from Ireland over to America to see my daughter. I haven't seen her for thirty years, and I'm on my road to see my daughter in America." And she said, "If the boat holds out thirty minutes, I'll see her in America." And said, "If it don't hold out, I got one in glory. I'll see one of them in the next thirty minutes. Hallelujah."

That's it. Prayed up, walking with Him, you don't what time a squeak of brakes, and you're going out into eternity. Live close to Him. Stay in the veil.

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