Chapter+1

Maggie Craig sat on Assateague beach. She turned to face the stampede of horses running in front of her on the wet sand. It was her millionth time coming to watch the horses with her family. Her sister Sarah sat next to her not even paying attention to the beautiful horses right in front of her. She did not share the same love for the horses that her sister had. Her mother, Emily, loved horses like Maggie. She taught horseback riding to 5-9 year old little girls. However, her father coached soccer for boys 10-15.
 * Chapter 1**

It was Maggie’s 10th birthday so she could no longer be in her mother’s group. She was tired of using rental horses in her lessons. She wanted her own horse to take her on expeditions across the Sahara Desert, the Grand Canyon, the Great Plains and anywhere else her horse would take her. She talked to her father after the stampede went by. She told him she wanted a wild horse of Assateague. Her father told her, “No, no, no and no! I told you before. Wild horses are wild. They might have a disease or have a bad attitude and besides, we can’t even afford a horse.”

“Well, why don’t we just talk to a guide?”

“Well, we’ll go talk to a guide and when they tell me you can’t have a horse you will be grounded for a week!”

“Okay! Now why don’t we go talk to the lady over there?!”

“Let’s.”

“Hello, folks. My name is Jenny. How can I help you?”

“Uh, my daughter had a crazy idea that she could have a wild Assateague horse and I just wanted you to clarify to her that she can’t have one.”

“Well, usually I would say no but lately people have been asking that, so we here at Assateague decided to put some of them in pens and train them. Let me take you to the stable to see them. This one in the first pen is Mabel.” Mabel had a beautiful fur coat but just was not the right one for Maggie.

“And this one is Jassey and there’s Pon, Diamond and Lassy.”

“How about the one on the end?”

“Oh, that’s Snitch. She’s not as pretty as all the rest.”

“Well, I think she’s pretty.”

“Well, would you like her?”

“How much is she?” her father said before Maggie could say anything else.

“How about if I give her to you for free?” - “That’s perfect!” said Mr. Craig. “We’ll take her.”

“Then let me get her ready for you.”

They walked Snitch back to Sarah and Mrs. Craig. They stared at the horse with mouths wide open, astonished at the brown horse with the white spot on its head.

“Wow!” Emily said. “What a beautiful horse!”

“Is it Maggie’s?”

“It’s all hers,” Mr. Craig said.