Meeting

As the sun was rising over the Eastern hills, all five roosters at the ranch started strutting around and crowing to wake up the sleeping humans and animals of the Four Feathers Ranch, where everyone worked a job.

The Four Feathers Ranch is near a small town called Talking Rock in the state of Texas. The town is called Taking Rock because many years ago people claimed the huge rock in the center of town spoke and warned them of storms coming. People from all over come to see the rock and try to listen for it to speak to them.

Lil Coco woke up quickly as she heard the other farm animals speaking their good morning noises. She had learned quickly to understand it was time for her to get up and eat. She watched as her Mother Sheena, led her to grain food she was now at the age to eat.

Lil Coco is a beautiful shiny black foal with beautiful big brown eyes, a white blaze from her forehead to above her mouth. She also has one white diamond shape mark above her right rear foot, which the human family called a good luck mark.

Lil Coco looked just like her father, a famous Quarter Horse racing champion named Wind Racer who travels often for racing. She was the first baby horse born at the Four Feathers Ranch during a thunder storm one late night and a big surprise to everyone around, even the other animals.

This is an exciting day for her. Now she was ready to go out to the big pasture. All the herd of horses were waiting to meet Lil Coco, along with the cows.

Lil Coco's Father Wind Racer, the cowboys nicknamed him Popcorn. He had a few small white patches that looked like popcorn on his back.

The markings were made when he was very young. A mountain lion jumped on him and bit him in a few places on his back. The bites turned white from the hair loss. He was very brave and scared the mountain lion away by kicking him.

Lil Coco was so excited to finally go out to the big part of the ranch and meet the herd of horses her Mother has told her about. Even Sheena was getting a little restless to walk faster.

They walked past these two red birds sitting on the fence close to their barn, they were called Charlie and Chatty, the red Cardinals. Chatty flew over Lil Coco and tipped her wings to say hello. Then, Charlie did the same greeting to Lil Coco.

How nice they looked flying above them, and chattering to Sheena and then flew back to the barn, Lil Coco looked up to Sheena, and asked, "will I fly someday?" To which her Mother replied "no, horses don't fly"

The human little girl came out to give Lil Coco her morning treat, she loves the carrots the little girl, Peyton brings her. She gently pets Lil Coco and walks with them to the gate which is the biggest gate Lil Coco has ever seen which leads in to the big pasture.

Lil Coco saw the herd of horses, Sheena introduced her to the other horses showing her off to them. They all began to graze together, Lil Coco thought it was boring, seeing the little calf Betsy she decided to go over and meet her. This was the first time hearing the sound moo as she whinnied to say hello, she knew this is how cows talk.

Cows talk

Lil Coco saw the cowboys riding around the herds to separate the cows and horses. She had seen them before in the barn. JT riding his horse Turbo, and Rusty riding his horse Rangler.

Cowboy Rusty told Lil Coco to stay with her Mother, and not to leave her side. Lil Coco walked back to her mother and watched the cows eating and saw Betsy start to walk away from her Mother. There was a lot of cows moving towards the ranch. Lil Coco didn't see Betsy again.

Lil Coco was on the way to their barn, when she saw Betsy as they entered the gate. She whinnied at her to tell her she would see her tomorrow. Betsy made that moo sound as her answer.

Lil Coco was getting tired from her first day in the big pasture. Lil Coco was happy to be back in the barn and was surprised with a new stall. The stall was hers alone, her Mother Sheena had a connecting door to check on Lil Coco, they were side by side.

Lil Coco was getting sleepy and went sound asleep, dreaming of all she saw and what she could explore tomorrow. She was going to get closer to those hills and see what else there was to explore. She thought Betsy would come with her and they would have fun together, running and jumping.

The next morning Lil Coco was tired of grazing and decided to visit with Betsy the calf. When the herd started to move to another section and Betsy started going in a different direction.

Lil Coco whinnied to her and she looked at Lil Coco and ran towards the big hills. Lil Coco ran fast to catch up with her, and she finally did get in front of Betsy to make her stop running.

Lil Coco asked her why she was running away yesterday and today. Betsy said, "the little bull, Bo was teasing her, and saying mean things, making fun of her because she was smaller than he is and had kicked her a few days ago, it hurt." Lil Coco said, "He is a bully, I will help you with him, I will teach you to stand up to him. His Mother needs to know he is doing this to you."

Betsy had tears in her eyes. Lil Coco tried to make her happy and started to walk across the stream, they walked to a path that led them to higher ground. Betsy was happy to look down to see all the herd looking so small to her. The stream was also looking smaller. They were lost.

Mountain Lion

Lil Coco and Betsy were not paying attention on their way and couldn't remember how they walked so far up the hill.

The sky was getting darker, a storm was coming, and they needed to go home now. Lil Coco was not scared.

The trail going back seemed longer than the trail going up the mountain. They were closer now to the stream, the sounds of the water was closer.

Suddenly they both heard a loud growl from an animal in the tree above them. Lil Coco knew it was a mountain lion.

Betsy asked Lil Coco "what is that noise"? Before she could answer they saw red birds flying against the wind. They were coming closer. And Lil Coco knew they were coming to help. They were Chatty and Charlie the cardinals from their barn. Chatty started pecking the mountain lion on his head and he tried to push her away with a huge paw. Charlie started pecking the mountain lion on his back and rear. The mountain lion jumped off the tree and ran away.

The two cardinals flew over to Betsy and Lil Coco. Both birds flew low and Charlie told them, "hurry back over the stream as the storm was coming fast. The stream will get real deep in a very short time so hurry and go back across the water." They left to go back to the barn as the wind was getting harder for them to fly.

Lil Coco and Betsy went fast to the edge of the stream that was looking like a river now to them. The stream was deeper when Lil Coco put her hoof in the water. the rain was coming down in bigger rain drops.

Betsy was trying to tell Lil Coco she didn't know how swim. Lil coco looked at Betsy and asked her, "Do you know how to swim." Then Lil...