One afternoon Jenny was walking along a small stream that ran near her home when she spotted an animal leaning down and drinking from the river. As she drew closer it looked just like a small horse, a pony maybe, but something was different. Something was VERY different!
The horse was sorta pinkish and had, believe it or not, a horn growing straight out of its forehead!
Jenny wondered if this was a confused goat with only one horn or a pony which had somehow been born with too much of whatever it was that made hooves and wound up with that whitish horn sticking out of its head.
Jenny just stood there staring at the strange pony when it suddenly jerked its head up out of the stream and looked over in her direction. It immediately jumped up from its lowered drinking position and turned to run away.
“Don’t run away…please…please stay…I won’t hurt you…. I promise!”
The animal had run a few steps then stopped, then slowly turned to look back at Jenny. She could see its horn really well now in profile as the pony looked at her. They both stared at each other for the longest time. Jenny didn’t want to move, afraid she’d scare the animal into running away again and the animal was not sure if there was danger with the little girl that had called out.
Finally, standing perfectly still and not moving at all Jenny said in a calm low voice “What kind of pony are you?” I’ve never seen a pony with a…horn…like yours …’though it’s a VERY nice one!”
The animal looked around and continued to stare then slowly turned its head to fully face Jenny and took one small step closer to her. Jenny stood perfectly still. The animal looked all around again and then, looking right at Jenny said…”I’m a Unicorn!”
Jenny’s eyes grew large and wide and she didn’t blink for the longest time.
“I…I’ve heard of…you…” Her heart was beating so fast and so loud that she thought perhaps the Unicorn could hear it!
“I’m…lost!” the Unicorn said to Jenny in a soft sad voice.
“Where is your home?”
“Well…it’s up the river…or maybe down the river…but I’ve forgotten which way. It was dark when I left…well…actually RAN away!”
“Why…Oh my…why did you run away from your home?”
“Some…people…not really very nice people were going to take me off to the city.”
“What about your parents or…ah…your owner or whatever you had…?”
“I don’t know what happened really. One day those people just came and tried to rope me and they had a van and all…” A large tear fell out of the Unicorn’s eye and it put its head down…”…so I ran away! I’m a VERY fast runner…but…I guess my sense of direction isn’t the best!”
“Oh Dear…that’s not nice of them at all!”
Jenny walked slowly up to the animal and gently put her hand out to pet the Unicorn. The animal startled at her first touch but then let her stroke its neck. Two more tears fell from its eyes.
“I’m very sorry that you’re sad.”
“I’m sorry that I’m sad too.”
“Do you want to…go back home?”
“I don’t know…I guess not…not now.”
“Well…I don’t know what to do for you or where to hide you.”
“I just KNOW somebody is going to see me and try to…” More tears fell.
“Well…I’ve got an idea. We’ll ask my Daddy what to do. He’s very smart and he likes horses…ah well…I’m sure he’d like Unicorns too…and…”
“NO! Adults don’t understand about Unicorns…not at all…you can’t tell him about me!”
“Don’t worry…my Daddy is different…he WILL understand and know exactly what to do…I’m sure!”
‘Oh my…I’m not so sure…I haven’t had a whole lot of luck with adults so far…”
“JENNY…JENNY…it’s time for dinner….”
“Oh…That’s him…. my Daddy…please don’t be afraid!”
“Oh…There you are….WHAT???….Jenny whose pony is …a PINK pony???”
“Daddy…this is a scared and lost….Unicorn that needs to hide from some mean city people that tried to get him!”
“A UNICORN…I thought…they were just…a REAL UNICORN???”
“Yes Daddy…see his horn?” Then she whispered….”…he’s very scared.”
“Ah…well…what should we…what CAN we do with him…it…whatever?”
“We have to hide him…make him look like a pony. Maybe Miss Stephanie at Wild Horses Farms riding school could hide him for us.”
“It’s a UNICORN Jenny…and a PINK one at that!”
“Oh Daddy think of something please!”
“We can’t take him home…but…wait…I’ve got an idea…ah…just wait here…both of you!”
Jenny’s father left and the Unicorn said “He…seems…nice and all…but he’s still an adult and I…”
“Don’t worry…he’ll help us…I’m sure of it!”
After a few minutes Jenny’s Daddy came back with an old straw hat and a can of gray spray paint.
“Here Jenny…put this hat over his horn and I’ll spray the pinkest parts of him and he’ll look like a gray pony and we’ll take him over to Miss Stephanie and see if we can make her understand…although I’m not sure I actually do…well anyway…let’s do it!”
Jenny and her Daddy sprayed the Unicorn and as they did, the Unicorn said…”That tickles!”
“Yeah…maybe it does…but it’s better than crying!” The Unicorn had to agree to that!
When they had finished, Jenny put the straw hat on the Unicorn’s head and completed the camoflage. The pink Unicorn looked just like any gray pony with a silly straw hat on its head.
“What do you think Jenny?”

“Yeah Daddy…it’s great!”

‘Let’s get him over to the horse farm and see if we can make Miss Stephanie understand.”

The three of them walked over to the stables creating some stares and snickers from the few folks that saw them but they finally got to Wild Horses Farms.

“What have we here?” Miss Stephanie met the trio at the gate.

“It’s a kinda strange story Miss Stephanie…may we all come in…we’d like to board our…ah…pony?” asked Jenny’s father.

“My what a cute pony you have there. Sure come on in…I think I have just the perfect companion for your…ah…pony!”

Jenny and her father breathed a sigh of relief but then started to wonder how they would tell Miss Stephanie that their …ah…pony…was really a Unicorn. Miss Stephanie led them all back to a small stable in the very rear of the property far away from the road, with its own pasture, trough  and bales of hay.

“This is very nice back here Miss Stephanie.” said Jenny.

“Yes Jenny…I think it will be the perfect place to keep your…UNICORN!”

Jenny, her Daddy and even the Unicorn were stunned! “H-How did you know…that…our pony…”

Miss Stephanie opened the narrow stable door and there, its head down in the hay eating, was a very pink…very horned… Unicorn!

Then Jenny’s Unicorn  smiled and nodded at the other Unicorn and as Miss Stephanie took Jenny’s Unicorn’s hat off she said “I thought mine was the last Unicorn…I’ve had her since I was eight years old!”

“It may take a while for the gray paint to wear off Jenny, but I think they’ll both be very happy here…and you can come and visit anytime you wish!”

“Oh thank you Miss Stephanie, and Daddy…I can tell my Unicorn is happy now…he’s not crying anymore and I think…yes I’m sure…he’s smiling.”

Jenny’s Unicorn went over and put his head down next to the other Unicorn and began to eat some hay too.

And ever since that day…Jenny has visited with her happy Unicorn and gotten to know Miss Stephanie’s Unicorn too. And no one else in the whole world knew about the secret Unicorns and that’s the way Jenny, Daddy and Miss Stephanie wanted it…not to mention the two Unicorns…neither of which was thankfully, the Last Unicorn!