And Veronika, does she race well?”

Yes, she’s superb, very fast, Willi said.

Do they always run naked? Don’t you have something to put on her? She wondered.

Have you ever seen a pony wearing clothes? Willi countered.

Well, no, She laughed.

Mona stepped forward, Let’s go inside and have a cup of coffee while we wait for Veronika.”

They walked to Mona’s office, at the door Willi stopped. I’ll go see Veronika, and get her around so you can chat, catch up on old times. She left heading toward the stable.

She went to Veronika’s stall, but no one was there so she headed to the bath stalls at the back of the stable. They were there, Veronika was in the stall and Jack was washing her.

Jack, she was superb today, make sure she has a good bath, a very good bath. She deserves it and I think she needs one too, Willi said softly.



Veronika stood between Mona and Willi. She refused to put anything on, except a pair of white high-heeled sandals. She asked Jack to put a little gold chain between her nipple rings, and a gold chain anklet, around her left ankle. He put on her stainless steel collar. She told Willi she would like to see her sister again, but wanted her there too.

She always gets me to do whatever she wants. If you are there with me, I can say no if I must, she said to Willi.



It’s nice to see you again Kate, Veronika said pleasantly. How’ve you been doing? I must say you look well.”

Ronni you don’t have to try to be nice to me if you don’t want, Ekaterina answered. To Willi she said, We didn’t do real well the last time we saw each other. It was my fault, I’ve come to apologize. She nodded her head as she spoke to Veronika. Do you have to go around naked, all the time?”

Yes, I do, Veronika, said soberly. Ponygirls don’t wear clothes, just a little jewelry sometimes, she gestured toward the chain between her nipple rings.

Miss den Woorden says you are an excellent ponygirl, she said. Very fast. Miss Lindeman said they have to be careful for your security. Why? What could happen to you?”

Willi spoke up, We don’t want her stolen, and her speed and racing abilities make her very valuable, like the Ahnentafel Kleines. When they both looked at her funny she added, pedigree pony. Willi finally decided to ask about their names, Are you from Europe, you both have names from there?”

Our mother was from Czech Republic, but our father was from New Jersey, we grew up in upper New York State, answered Ekatrina.

Veronika added, Our mother wanted us to be American so she taught us only English. There was no one left from our family in Czech Republic. She looked toward Ekaterina, We had to go there on out own to find out what things were like there.”

So the German running commands I’m using are new to you, Willi observed. They both nodded.

We wouldn’t have learned German anyway, our mother didn’t like anything German, said Veronika. But I like German Shepard dogs.”

Do you have one, Ekaterina asked?

Yes, his name is Bruno. He’s very pretty, light tan and gray, with blue eyes. And real big teeth, Veronika said proudly.

Willi nodded and added, He’s trained to protect Veronika. Actually each ponygirl has one. He sleeps right beside her.

Can we go to dinner somewhere, Ekaterina asked? Do you have any clothes to wear?

We can eat here, Veronika answered. The food is excellent, and we can spend the evening, but I will need to go to bed here. It’s true, I’m not safe without extra security.”

There are rustlers, who steal the ponygirls, and then sell them in foreign countries, Willi added. We have gotten extra security and the dogs, but Veronika shouldn’t go without her security. So far we believe she is safe here, but she may not be when she is out.”

Will you wear clothes to dinner, Ekaterina asked. She turned to Willi, I suppose it would be all right for her to dress. Willi nodded.

I’ll sort of wear something, but I kind of like going naked, Veronika smiled. It’s a special sort of freedom. I have no responsibility to fashion and I don’t have to wear anything. You know I kind of enjoy making people nervous.”



They decided to eat there; the cafeteria sent some excellent gourmet meals. Beef bourgeon and vegetables. Followed with ice cream and very rich chocolate fudge sauce. Veronika wore a very short, blue silk, mini-dress and the white sandals from before.

What about men, Ekaterina asked over coffee. Do you bother them?”

I don’t really know if I do, I don’t get to find out, she said glumly. She nodded toward Willi, She probably knows. Actually when I’m being a ponygirl, I don’t notice much human sort of stuff.”

Willi smiled, Yes they do notice, some. I would get to reap the benefit if I had the time. Mostly they just see them as pony, you know, livestock. The ponygirls are off limits to them. It’s their job if they stray, and this pays quite well.”

I noticed there’s a lot more women than men, Ekatrina observed.

Men are a premium here, so they are too busy to try to mess with the madelpony, Willi gave her a mischievous smile. So if you’re looking for a date, I’ll go with you maybe we can find two.”

Kate isn’t really interested in men for dating, she’d like to go on a date with you, but not to find men, just to go with you. Right Kate, Veronika said, acidly. That’s why we haven’t had much to say for a while, I wouldn’t date her.”

Ronni, I came here to apologize to you for that, I’m really sorry I did what I did, she replied. When that was over, I didn’t even go back home for months. I was afraid Mother would know, and I couldn’t face her, she turned to Willi as she spoke. I wanted Ronni to come to bed with me. When she said she didn’t want to, I tried to insist. I thought if she was really my sister she’d do this for me.”

I didn’t say anything to mother, I was afraid it would hurt her, Veronika replied. It probably wouldn’t have bothered her at all. I’ve come to know that now. She probably wouldn’t even mind of she saw me run someday.”

It’d probably be all right, she always was so very proud of you, Ekaterina said smiling. You couldn’t do anything wrong at all.”

Well maybe not anything, Veronika said dryly. She shifted around and her tiny dress top slid to the side and let her right breast out. Veronika absently pulled the top back over her chest, and covered her breast.

What’s that number, there on your nipple, Ekaterina asked? I saw it earlier, and I wondered about.”

My Ponygirl Racing Association registration number, Veronika told her. She pulled the dress over to show her the number again.

What does it mean, there can’t be over a hundred thousand ponygirls, Ekaterina was incredulous.

No, it’s a three part number. The 107 is for Miss Wendell, the 132 is the day of the year I was registered on and the 1 is me, the first ponygirl registered on that day, ever. One thirty two means the twelfth of May.”

Who is Miss Wendell?”

She is my owner. Well she actually owns my contract. For the next five and a half years, Veronika told her. They chatted amiably for the rest of the evening. Veronika started to yawn.

You know, I worked real hard today, and I’m getting real sleepy. I’m about to fall asleep, so I should probably be laying in my bed when I do.”



Veronika was hitched to the sulky and Orson lowered the blinkers, over her eyes, she couldn’t see anything. Willi had brought a picnic lunch out to the sulky.

Liebling, we shall go for a picnic today, Willi said softly. She turned to Orson, We will be back at 6PM.

He nodded I’ll be ready, and with the new groom too. She just came in from the main ranch, used to work with Erin, Orson related. Well I’ll see you later, he said as he stepped back. He could tell Veronika was already a ponygirl in her mind, and she no longer cared about anything but pulling her sulky.

Ekaterina stood by the door to the stable and watched Veronika as she pulled the sulky out of the corral. She admired Veronika; they had agreed that she would get their mother to come to her first race, coming up in two more weeks.

At 6PM, Orson was waiting under the shade tree by the side of the corral when Willi brought Veronika in. They stopped right beside Orson; he gently put his hand on Veronika’s shoulder to let her know he was there. He didn’t want to scare her when he stared to unhitch her from the sulky. His first step was to open the blinkers, and then unhitch her straps from the sulky. Veronika looked around and smiled. She had been out all day with the blinkers closed; she couldn’t see anything at all. She had to depend on Willi for everything, and she couldn’t open the blinkers herself, her pony-hands prevented that. Her only function was to pull the sulky Willi was everything to her. She loved Willi.