Page 11

The Jewel World

While the other two were sleeping, Merkeeta crawled over to Katya and whispered in her ear.

"What if we're trapped in Rainbow forever and never get out?" she whispered. "I think we may be stuck here forever."

Not wanting to scare the others, Katya signaled, "Shhh."

But Kicker's pointed horse ears had already perked up. "Hey, what are you two whispering about over there? All I heard was whooch, whooch, whooch."

"We may be trapped in here." Merkeeta whispered again into Katya's ear. "We need to figure out how to escape.

Merkeeta and Katya talk with word bubbles of Merkeeta whispering about leaving the Jewel World and Katya reassuring her.

Listening more, Kicker heard what they were whispering about.

"But why would we want to get out?" Kicker asked. "It's perfect here."

"Yeah, but think about it Kicker," Merkeeta pointed out. "To always be living in a glass world. To never be able to run through your favorite fields. To never rest in your favorite patch of sun. Wouldn't you miss all that?"

Kicker considered it. "You're right. To never see my Mare and Sire again," Kicker sighed, because that's what horses call their mothers and fathers. "And never see all the foals who live at the farmhouse with me, and run with me in the pastures," she sighed again. "I'd miss them so much."

Getting upset, Kicker shook her long yellow mane when she thought about her family. She DID miss them! She missed them already! And the green pastures around her home.

Katya started thinking about her family too. She would miss her Ma-cat and Pa-cat, and all the little kittens that were her brothers and sisters.

"What are we going to do?" the girls asked each other.

JenJen had an idea. "We thought ourselves into Rainbow. Maybe we can think ourselves out of Rainbow."