The Farm Girl and the Drake

Years went by. Winter bloomed into spring and spring blossomed into summer. And as the seasons changed, so did Applejack.

Soon, she became the apple of her parents’ eyes. Bright Mac and Pear Butter loved their daughter very much and they always made time for her. And in return, she looked after them and Big Macintosh.

The family’s dog, a brown and white Border collie named Winona, slept at the foot of Applejack’s bed. And every morning she wakened Applejack with a bark and a gentle lick at her hand.

Then, she would stand by until Applejack got up.

Applejack sat up, stretching her arms above her head. Then she threw off her covers and swung her feet over the edge of the bed.

She slid over to her dresser, shedding her footed pajamas, revealing her golden tan, and sat in front of the mirror. She stared at her reflection and brushed her long blonde hair before going to her closet.

She chose an orange plaid shirt and faded blue jeans. She left the neck of the shirt open two buttons, then she rolled the sleeves up to her elbows, and tied the bottom at her midriff. Then she picked up a pair of brown cowhide gloves and pulled on her worn brown boots.

After Applejack got dressed, she raced Winona downstairs and out the kitchen door to meet the postwoman at the gate. After the postwoman came it was breakfast time. Applejack brought in the mail and her Pa’s newspaper, and Winona sat beside Applejack to make certain that not even a crumb went to waste.

After making sure that her mom didn’t need her help with the housework, Applejack went out to help her dad and Big Macintosh in the orchards. And Winona stayed close to Applejack, protecting her from potential danger.

There were vampire fruit bats and flocks of crows, especially during zap apple harvest, but Timberwolves were the big problem.

These beasts weren’t strangers, in a sort of way. They often prowled around the orchards, just outside the forest, watching the farmers work.

Applejack paused and noticed one such creature slinking silently along under the cover of the tall grass near the fence. From the end of the fence it was a short dash to the shelter of the woodpile. And there the Timberwolf lurked, waiting for a chance to attack.

Applejack had never seen a Timberwolf herself before, but she remembered what her grandmother, Granny Smith, had told her about them. They were evil, they were vicious and they had very foul breath. But they always had been driven off by the sound of clanking metal.

Applejack knew that these animals must not be allowed onto the property!

Winona growled and barked at the beast as Applejack made a dash for the house. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed two metal pots from above the stove and ran back outside, clanging them together.

The Timberwolf balked at the sound, then turned, and Winona chased it away. After watching it retreat into the forest, Winona returned to Applejack.

And as Bright Mac watched his daughter hug Winona, he felt proud. His little girl had driven off a Timberwolf.