Once
there was a large, wealthy family who lived in the country. They had twelve
children and each one of them loved animals. Their house was practically a menagerie.
They had rabbits, mice, chipmunks, lizards, foxes, and squirrels. Of course,
they also had a stable filled to the brim with all kinds of exotic horse
breeds. Andalusians from Spain, Arabians from the Middle East, and Abyssinians from Ethiopia. Their family was expert in horsemanship. This also family had a girl who was about eight or twelve years
old. She was not their daughter by birth, but they treated her like a member of
their own rambunctious family. Kitty’s parents had died in a railroad accident when she was a small baby. Kitty was often sick, and she could not go outside much. However, she loved to play
with the animals that she could find indoors, whether it was the fox who chewed
on her pillow or the squirrel who burrowed in her stockings. One day, Kitty heard exciting news. The family had purchased a new horse! She was thrilled! The family doctor, who never fussed about anything, started to list reasons against seeing this horse. It could elevate her blood pressure. She could catch double pneumonia, etc. Kitty slipped out and found herself on the covered porch where she could take a peek.
