Pips Snack !

It was another winter day on Jessi's growing farm. She'd just gotten in a new set of ponies to care for in her stable, and she knew that they would make such amazing friends for her other Teddies! It seemed that, with these new members of her pony family, Jessi found it easier to sleep at night. She was no longer tossing and turning. In fact, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow! Perhaps it was because of how much work the ponies were to take care of, or perhaps it was because she finally felt like she'd settled in to this new home. 

Either way, Jessi sprung from bed at sunrise to do her chores. It was more of the usual: tending to her ponies, cleaning the stables, and watering her new garden. She was so very proud of her new garden. It was a project she'd taken on thanks to the advice of one of her equestrian friends, Therese. Therese had such a large garden of her own, she was practically self-sufficient. Jessi hoped to become such a savant one day. After all, it was such a long drive to the farmer's market, and it would really be more convenient to just be able to pick from her own garden when she needed it.

Then again, there was the risk. A lot of new farm owners don't think about the risk, simply because they lived in suburbia for their entire lives. And, yes, Jessi was one of those people. She hadn't anticipated that gardening would come with a risk at all. But when she approached her garden, a bucket and hose in hand, she saw it. Her plants had been ravaged!

It had to have been some kind of ravenous beast, with how much of it had been stomped through. But it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that Jessi had to completely restart her garden. Or, at least, a large chunk of it. It seemed the beast had been mostly concerned with the greens section---kale, lettuce, cabbage, even some carrots. Jessi would have thought that this nocturnal creature would've been less picky, but it seemed she didn't know much about the predators of the area.

That's when she heard a gentle crunch, then a snap. The grunt of the creature sounded from around the corner of the greenhouse, huffing almost as if it were about to attack. Jessi had nowehere to go, only able to dart for her house. Even then, did she truly have enough time?

Just as she was about to set her things down and book for her abode, the creature rounded the corner, another huff wooshing from its lips as it finally bared itself to the light---

...a horse?

A cream-colored chestnut, standing eleven hands tall. He was a fluffy beauty, even with the kale hanging from his lower lip. Jessi couldn't believe that such a pony could eat through her crops! Then again, she imagined it was hard to find food in the winter nowadays. 

With a chuckle, Jessi grabbed the pink bell ribbon from her bucket.

"Hey there, buddy," she cooed, cautiously approaching him. He wriggled in place, still chewing at the snack in his mouth. It was clear he didn't need a snack to be persuaded to stay. He'd already gorged himself on all the treats he needed!

Jessi clicked her tongue to attract the stallion to a new batch of spinach that she'd planted a couple of weeks prior. They hadn't fully grown in, but she was sure he'd be satisfied with the food, anyway. When he took a few steps closer and began to munch, Jessi adored the wonderful ivory fur belt around his waist. It was a natural piece of fashion for such a naturally beautiful boy.

He contined to eat through the leafy greens, distracted for enough time that Jessi was able to tie her pink bell ribbon into his tail. He didn't so much as flinch when she placed it, and there hadn't been any resistance, at least on his part. Being the size she was, Jessi was always a bit scared to get too close to a wild pony. But she assumed she'd get used to the feeling once she became more experienced in the field. 

The pony finished eating the greens and seemed to be satiated. With nothing else to offer, she backed away from the stallion. Even though she could've went back and grabbed the necessary supplies to tame the Teddy, Jessi figured she would let him choose for himself first. After all, he had only been attracted to the food on her property. That didn't mean he had trusted her enough to stay for life. Besides, Jessi wasn't exactly hurting for ponies. She had plenty of friends to call family, but she couldn't help the buzz of excitement that coursed through her at the idea of a new pony to bring to her stables.

With a final breath, the stallion smacked his lips and turned toward the forest that lined the western perimeter of Jessi's farm. He walked out into the afternoon with a full belly and a cute bell ribbon to call his own. Maybe, just maybe, he would decide to come back one day.