Home at last, but not for good.

Home at last. For a few days the little horse was happy to be home on the bookshelf with his friend the pinto pony, his au pair, his sister, Bel Canto, his mother, his father, the waving kitty. He told them of all his adventures. He asked the au pair to teach him foreign languages. He gave his sister the necklace he had bargained for on the beach.

But life on the bookcase grew dull. There were no new sights, no exotic grasses to taste, no sounds of foreign languages. The dialogs his au pair tried to teach him seemed baby-ish. He longed for the smell of fresh breezes, the warmth of the sun, the freedom of open air. He begged to be allowed to travel once more.

At last his mother relented. Yes, he could go to California, IF he would behave himself, hold his tail high, keep his ears sharp, look to both sides. Bel Canto, his sister, begged to be allowed to join her brother, but her mother said no. Bel Canto was too young. She was delicate. And what would the au pair do without someone to tutor? And who would keep the pinto pony company? Bel tried to appeal to her father, but he said that mothers knew best. Bel was very sorry to see her brother preparing for another adventure. She begged for postcards to keep her informed. She vowed she would not sleep until he had told her all his adventures.

The little horse felt sorry to be leaving his sister behind, but the spirit of adventure called to him. He told her to study the silly dialogs in foreign languages and that some day soon she, too, would get to travel. Then he waved goodbye with his little tail and headed off on another adventure.