Stevie took her suitcase up to Lisa’s room, then the two girls set off for Pine Hollow. Stevie couldn’t wait to get started in her role of assistant stable hand. For her part, Lisa was glad she’d be able to help Stevie with her Thanksgiving project, although she hadn’t had any luck so far figuring out what to do for her own. She was beginning to worry that she’d never find a project in time, since Thanksgiving was the next day. When they arrived at the stable, one of the first things they noticed was how quiet it was. There were no other people around, as there usually were at almost any time of the day, any day of the week. Everyone seemed to have deserted Pine Hollow for the holiday. But Stevie and Lisa knew that there had to be at least one other person there: Carole. They knew their friend well enough to know that she would be there, taking care of Starlight as usual, holiday or no holiday. And they were right. They found Carole in Starlight’s stall, hoof pick in hand, cleaning out his feet.
