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Nathan's Spirit Horse, Part 1

Nathan's Spirit Horse, Part 1
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.54

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    determination, instantly, receded, upright, retorted, snort, tapped, lower, nostril, marking, provided, especially, anger, fell, teepee, working
     content words:    Laughing Bear

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Nathan's Spirit Horse, Part 1
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Nathan lay with his eyes closed. The pain and sudden contact with the dry, dusty ground slowly receded. Something solid nudged him. Now it was sniffing his face. Hot air blew in his nose, and whiskers tickled his cheek. He opened his eyes to a close-up look at his horse's nostril.
 
2     "Ugh" grunted Nathan as he began to slowly pull himself upright. So much for not making a fool of himself, he thought.
 
3     He groaned as he slowly got up. His hands were pressed on his lower back pushing him upright. What he wouldn't give for a med bed. Working the pain out yourself was not as much fun as having it instantly relieved.
 
4     Nathan heard a snort and his back was given a strong push. He grabbed the nearby corral fence to stay upright.
 
5     "Hey! Cut it out," he shouted at his horse. As he turned around, Nathan heard a titter of laughter. He figured the kids standing down that way were laughing at him. Nathan's chin went up. He didn't need them. He'd soon be able to ride his horse any where he wanted to go. Provided of course, he didn't fall off.
 
6     Nathan looked at his horse. He was more than half white with large black splotches. His neck on one side and his shoulder on the other side bore what looked like hand prints. There was also a spot on the top of the horse's head that included his ears. Nathan heard that was called a war bonnet marking.
 
7     The hand shaped spots were very special. Horses marked that way were called spirit or medicine horses. Even his horse's eyes were funny. One was normal, dark brown eye the other, a funny bluish-white; a wall eye.
 
8     Nathan sensed Laughing Bear's approach before the man came into view.

Paragraphs 9 to 18:
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