"Eighteen to me – seventeen to you," announced Princess Ellie, as she wrote the scores on the blackboard in the tack room. "I'm winning."

"Only for a bit," said her best friend, Kate. "I haven't had my turn yet."

"Here's your question," said Meg, the palace groom. "What's the name of the soft part on the bottom of a horse's foot?"

Kate grinned. "That's easy. It's the frog."

Ellie changed the score. "Eighteen all. We're level now."

Meg peered out of the window. "The rain's stopped and it's getting late. We'd better make this the last round of the quiz."

"Make it a hard one," said Ellie.

"I'll have to," Meg replied. "You've both got all the questions right so far." She paused thoughtfully for a moment. Then she asked, "Suppose you found a pony kicking at his stomach and looking round at his sides with a worried expression. What would be the matter?"

"Colic," cried Ellie.

Meg nodded. "And for an extra mark, what should you do?" she asked.

Ellie hesitated. She'd never seen a pony with colic and she hoped she never would. If she did, she knew she'd ask Meg for help, but that obviously wasn't the answer to the question. "I think I'd call the vet," she suggested.

"That's very sensible," replied Meg. "Colic can be serious – you don't want to take any chances."

This time Kate updated the score. "You've got twenty now. If I get both parts of my question right, it'll be a draw."

Meg handed her a few small pieces of something grey. "Do you know what

this is?"

Kate stared at the pieces carefully. She rolled them between her fingers and held them up to her nose to smell them. "Is it sugar beet?" she asked.

"That's right," said Meg. "Now for that extra mark, can you tell me what you must always do to sugar beet before you feed it to a pony."

"I know, I know," squealed Ellie. She could hardly resist blurting out the answer.

"Don't tell me!" ordered Kate. She tapped thoughtfully on her teeth with a fingernail. She stared at her feet and then at the ceiling. She stared at the blackboard, as if she was hoping the answer would miraculously appear on it. Eventually she admitted, "It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember."

"Don't worry," said Meg. "Let's see if Ellie really knows."

Ellie felt very pleased with herself. "The sugar beet's been dried, so you have to soak it for a long time before you feed it to ponies."

"Of course," cried Kate. "How could I forget that! If you don't soak sugar beet, it might swell up inside a pony's throat and choke it."

"Well done, both of you," said Meg. "You're the winner, Ellie, and I'm really impressed by how much you've both learned since I came to the stables."

"That's because you've taught us loads of stuff about pony care," laughed Ellie. "George never did that." George was the palace groom before Meg and Kate came. He had lots of rules, most of which began "Princesses don't..." and he never allowed Ellie to help around the stables.

"I'm glad you're here now, Meg," said Kate. "It can't have been much fun when George was around."

"And it won't be much fun if I'm told off for making you both late," added Meg. "Have you got time to check the ponies' water before you go?"

"Of course we have," said Kate. "Gran won't have my tea ready yet." Kate's gran was the palace cook.

The yard was still wet from the rain that had sent the three of them scurrying into the tack room earlier. Ellie was glad of her wellington boots as she splashed through the puddles to the tap. She filled a bucket and used it to top up the water container in...