By Jo Ann J. Lovelace

Timmy's face was pressed tightly against the window. He giggled as he watched Princess play in the snow. The horse took a bite and shook her head vigorously trying to get the snow off her tongue. She took off at a gallop looking like an ice skater gliding across the barnyard and landed inside the water trough.
"Mom," Timmy shouted. "Princess fell in the water trough."
"Yesterday the snowman moved to the mailbox," his mother said. "He was eating all our mail. You're going to have to stop this wild imagination of yours Timmy."
"I'm not imagining it," Timmy said excited. "Princess really is in the water trough."
"Princess is smart enough to know her water's in the barn where it can't freeze," his mother said. "She wouldn't try to get water from an empty water trough."
"She slid," Timmy cried. "She slid and fell right in the trough."
"She is in the water trough," his mother said looking out the window seeing one of Princess's hooves barely above the trough. "Call Daddy and explain what happened. I'll go and try to keep her calm."
"Daddy," Timmy shouted. "Princess fell in the water trough."
"Now Timmy," his father laughed. "A day or so ago you called to tell me Princess was throwing snowballs at you. You're letting this imagination thing get out of hand."
"It's true Daddy," Timmy sobbed. "Princess slid and fell in the trough."
"I'll be right there," his father said, hearing the fright in Timmy's voice. "You go tell your mother."
"Is she all right?" Timmy asked trying to keep his toboggan on his head. "Daddy said he'd be here right away."
"She's all right," his mother answered. "I think she's too scared to move."
"Talk to her and keep her calm," Timmy's father said as he rushed through the gate. "I'll have to turn the trough over."
Princess came out and jumped to her feet. She trotted off as if nothing had happened.
"Wow," Timmy said. "I'm not making up anymore stories. I thought no one was going to believe Princess was in the water trough."

Copyright © 1998 Jo Ann Lovelace. All Rights Reserved.