While they were growing up they did everything 

together. They would run in circles around all the 

other horses just for the fun of it. They rolled in the 

sand, drank water together, grazed in the pasture 

and spent all their time together.   Life for them had 

become easy and fun.

They liked being around the other 

horses, but more than anything else, 

they liked being together.

As they continued to grow up things 

started to change again.   Cisco started to 

spend time with an older horse named 

Magic.   

When the horses weren't out in the 

pasture, they were kept in pens.   One 

day Cisco noticed that the fence around 

Magic's pen was falling down.   He had 

been trained to be a jumper and so he 

thought he would just jump over the 

fence and visit Magic.   Once he got in 

the pen, he stayed all night.

That left Bella all by herself.   She paced 

by the fence to Magic's pen, watching 

Cisco and Magic together.    Or sometimes 

she just went off by herself.   She felt 

lonely and sad.   Why would Cisco jump 

the fence and leave her, knowing she 

couldn't jump it too?

Misty noticed that Bella was standing 

alone in her stall and came to check on 

her.    Bella was quiet at first, but then 

knew she needed some help.   She talked 

to Misty about Cisco and how hurt she felt 

that she wasn't his best friend anymore.  

Misty was a wise, old pony and she 

wanted to help.

Misty asked if Bella had tried to join in with Cisco 

and Magic.   Or if she had tried to hang out with 

one of the other horses.   What she really 

wondered was if Bella was trying to help herself 

solve the problem. 

Bella explained how things were when she tried to 

be with Magic and Cisco.   How she often felt left 

out and that there was no one else in the herd to 

be friends with.

Misty thought about it and then she said.   "I 

know it's hard to lose a friend, but 

friendships grow and change.   Sometimes you 

can't keep things the way you want them to 

be, you need to try something different."  

Bella seemed sad and frustrated.   She said 

she didn't want another friend.   She wanted 

Cisco.  

Misty asked her if she had tried to talk to Cisco 

about her feelings.   Bella said that she had tried.  

She said Cisco told her he still liked her, but 

sometimes he just wanted to be with Magic.