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Karen stood frozen before the rearing and pawing unicorn. "Is he going to try and hurt me," she wondered anxiously. "Could Thunder be angry because I have dared to invade his private domain?"
The unicorn let out a sudden shrill whinny, causing Karen to step back into the edge of the pool. It suddenly dawned on her that she had nowhere to go but deeper into the water if thunder should decide to charge at her. The feeling of being trapped left Karen shaken. To distance herself from the unicorn, Karen took another step back into deeper water, which was now almost to her hips.
Without warning, the unicorn dropped down on all four feet, and started strutting and prancing clockwise along the well-beaten path around the clearing. At times he would stop to rear high in the air, and at other times he would take off at a thunderous gallop; his hoofbeats echoing and reechoing through the forest, only to return to a fancy trot, or prance. "Is Thunder trying to impress me?" Karen wondered in amazement.
Thunder stopped abruptly on the opposite side of the pool from Karen. Holding his stately head high in the air, the unicorn walked slowly toward the water. He stared straight at Karen for a minute, and as if satisfied she would do him no harm, he lowered his head and drank long and deep from the pool.
Karen thought it was quiet enough in the forest and clearing to hear a pin drop. What should she do? She was too spellbound to attempt to find her way back home now. Even if she had wanted to, she knew she didn't have the slightest idea which way to go. It was getting quite dark now. Except for the little clearing, the surrounding forest looked pitch-black. Somehow Karen felt safe and secure within the fading twilight of the area surrounding the pool.
Slowly the majestic animal raised his head again. He turned and started walking around the pool toward Karen. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she feared the sound would scare the unicorn away. Every few steps, Thunder would stop, raise his awesome head, and snuff the air. Once he whinnied softly, as if to say everything was going to be all right. Karen stood perfectly still, not daring to move.
As the majestic animal moved closer, Karen realized by his manner that he had no intention of hurting her. Thunder was standing right in front of her now, only four or five feet from the edge of the pool. As the magnificent animal's clean white coat contrasted with the dark forest behind him, it seemed to Karen that his coat actually glowed. He came a step closer to Karen, reaching and lowering his head in a friendly gesture. Karen thought she detected tears in his glistening eyes. "Is something troubling you" she murmured softly.
Karen slowly and cautiously reached out her hand, palm up. "Hi there, big fella" she almost whispered. He gently nudged her had with his soft warm nose! Karen eased her hand around and gently patted the unicorn higher up on his cheek. Thunder lowered his head a little more, and tilted it just right to provide Karen a grip to pull herself out of the water. She reached and gasped a horn as smooth as polished ivory.
Pulling herself out easily, she patted the unicorn on his shoulder and back, talking softly to him. Thunder, you are the most fabulous creature in the whole wide world. If I could, I would take you home with me and show you off to everyone, but I know you belong in the wild," she said affectionately. Thunder seemed to relish every bit of attention Karen gave to him. Every little stroke and pat, every soft encouraging word, seemed to brighten the big white steed's eyes all the more. Karen felt sure she had won his trust completely, and that she had found a friend for life.
Karen noticed that the unicorn seemed to be nudging her toward one side of the pool. As she found her way over there, she noticed a large flat boulder there, protruding about two feet out of the ground. Karen nimbly jumped onto the big rock as they came up to it. Thunder stopped along side the rock, and once again turned and lowered his head, offering his horn for Karen to grasp. She took his gesture as an obvious invitation for her to climb on his back. The adventuresome girl didn't hesitate. Not only had she won the trust of the unicorn, Thunder had won her complete trust as well!
Karen pulled herself confidently onto Thunder's back. A cushion of velvety softness and well padded comfort far surpassed anything the girl had anticipated. The lost but thrilled little girl grabbed both hands full of the strong durable mane, and they were off at a brisk trot into the darkness of the forest.
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