Fury at Rocky Ranch

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

السلام عليكم

Here is another Fury story:

Fury at Rocky Ranch

BY MAIMOONAH THADHANI

Our Bay Gelding

Chapter One

Green Rock Ranch

ONE FINE SUNNY SUMMER DAY, Carlotta and Fury got each a present.

 Fury got a pretty silver-panted saddle, and Carlotta a beautiful model of a green rock in the middle of a wooden ranch.

Perhaps you don’t know what a ranch is, so I’ll tell you.

 A ranch is a large farm, especially in the western US and Canada, where cattle or other animals are bred and raised.

Father said, “The green rock is Emerald, so expensive, and the biggest I could find. And I have another surprise for you, Carlotta.”

“Oh, when?” Carlotta blurted. “Tomorrow.” Father hissed.

Mother and Father were both very mysterious. Whenever a phone call came, Father always answered it, and Mother took Carlotta in the attic, so that the one-sided conversation couldn’t be heard.

And down in the hall, this was happening.

Father: Can you arrange a large bed for my daughter and wife?

Caller: Oh yes. There’s a violet picture on the wall, and a huge old rocking horse in the corner.

Father: My child has a real horse, called Fury. Can you make a place for Fury?

Caller: Yes, but you may need a trainer for her, and it’s too late to get one!

Father: But I taught Carlotta myself, she knows to ride. And yet, she’s captured her horse by herself!

Caller: okay. Got to go. Bye.

Father: bye.

Now, what do you think of that conversation? You won’t understand a thing.

I’m not going to tell any more. You guess!

Chapter two

PACKING

“PACK YOUR NORMAL BOX, Carlotta.” said Mother slowly. “Look at the box list.”

The box list was:

v  Purse

v  Books

v  iPad

v  notebook

v  money

v  Fury

v  Grooming tools

v  Extra horse food

v  Fury magnet

v  Photo of Fury.

v  Pencil

v  Lunch box.

v  Few envelopes

v  Paper

“Ok, I’m going to Chuckles to buy a packet of ordinary fast food.” Carlotta said.

“OKAY!” called Mother.

“Hi, Chuck, I want a packet of ordinary fast food for me! I’m going somewhere!” Carlotta hollered.

“Don’t have to shout, I’m here!”

Chuck, an always hungry country boy appeared from the counter.

Carlotta looked at the menu. “A little bit of everything, please, Chuck.”

“Ah, young Carlotta! Where are you going?” Tall Mr Bedd towered over Carlotta and Chuck.

“I don’t know; it’s a surprise!”

Chapter Three

ROCKY RANCH

THEY WERE OFF AT LAST! Giving Fury a free rein, Carlotta galloped on. Father and Mother’s car zoomed besides her.

It was a long way off. At night they stopped to rest Fury, and heard a wolf howl.

A lone grey shape appeared in the dusk. Father was alarmed.

Mother felt frightened. But as soon as the wolf smelt them, she turned and shyly fled into the woods. “Shy Wolf!” Carlotta laughed. “There’s nothing to be scared of!”

They soon pulled up to a farm. But it was no ordinary farm. It was huge!

“Welcome to Rocky Ranch!” A farmer named Mr Morton stepped out of a field. 

 “You may go into any field you like, but only don’t go into the haying field till the time comes!”

Chapter Four

FIELD OF THE BOSS

A PRETTY FIELD lay with ripe strawberries in. Mrs Morton did not go and pick them. The next day, Carlotta went there to pick some.

The sensible child put on an old dress and took a straw basket. 

Fury grazed in the meadow.

Carlotta passed a pretty field of poppies, and picked some. They were so pretty!

She saw far away houses and windmills. “That must be the city.”  She went in the field of strawberries, and started picking. Fury nuzzled her shoulder, and flicked her tail to shoo away the flies.

An old ram came up, bleating nervously. Fury quickly made friends with the ram, and Carlotta wasn’t bothered at all. 

They had strawberry cake for dinner, and Mrs Morton said, “Don’t go into that strawberry field! There is a ram there; he’ll butt you away if you go into that field!”

“But I’ve already gone in the field! Fury made friend with the ram!” Carlotta said.

Chapter Five

THE THIEF

THE NEXT MORNING was a fine one. Mother and Carlotta went to the little smoke house there, but Mother suddenly gave a cry. “Carlotta, all the meat in the smoke house has gone!”

“What?” A very startled Carlotta scrambled out of the bushes. “A cat could have eaten it!”

“Oh no, not a cat. Perhaps a dog?” Mother was puzzled.

“There are no dogs on the farm, Mother.” Carlotta reminded her. “Only Bark, the sheepdog, and Bark is too good a dog to take the meat.”

“It must be someone Bark knows, or otherwise he would bark.”

But they were baffled.

That day, a fire was started in the old shed at the bottom of the ranch house.

They managed to put it out just in time. Mr Morton was really angry. “I’m going to watch tonight!” he said. 

So that night, Mr Morton and Carlotta kept watch, but the thief didn’t strike again.

Chapter Six

FURY AND THE THIEF

THE VERY NEXT NIGHT, Fury awoke everyone by screaming. Carlotta went downstairs, armed with two huge clubs.

Then, Carlotta saw the same sight as Fury. A lone grey shape moved around with a brown old figure circling.  SHY WOLF AND BARK, THE SHEEPDOG WERE SNIFFING NOSES!

The wild sister pointed her long nose upwards, and gave a long, drawn out howl.

Bark did the same.

“Where did we get Bark, Albert?” Mrs Morton looked at Mr Morton.

“I don’t know, Kate!”

“Then Bark has to be an old wolf.”

“He’s so old that he can’t eat sheep anymore!”

Mrs Morton said this last.

“I wonder what will happen next,” Fury seemed to say.

The mystery was solved very quickly, thought Carlotta, as she turned over in bed. And Fury thought the same, too.

THE END OF THE FURY STORYBOOK:

FURY AT ROCKY RANCH

CHECK OUT MORE ‘FURY’ TALES:

FURY, THE WILD HORSE

FURY AT SMUGGLE STABLE

AND ANOTHER NEW BOOK:

FURY AND THE SCREAM AT NIGHT; COMING SOON.

السلام عليكم

Maimoonah