Average 'Stormy, Misty's Foal' by Marguerite Henry Quiz | 10 Questions | For Children

Answer: True

The first book in the series, 'Misty of Chincoteague', was inspired by the real-life Beebe family, who raised a foal (Misty) that had been born to parents from the line of feral ponies on Assateague Island, off the coast of Virginia. The Pony Penning Day in that story is an annual event on Chincoteague Island. Misty was bought by Marguerite Henry, and spent the first ten years of her life in Illinois.

After she moved back to the Beebe ranch in 1957, she had three foals: Phantom Wings, Wisp o' Mist, and Stormy.

Answer: Wesley Dennis

Wesley Dennis's illustrations remain clear in my memory over 50 years after I read the fifteen books he illustrated for Marguerite Henry. His illustrations of Anna Sewell's 'Black Beauty' and John Steinbeck's 'The Red Pony' similarly capture the horses he portrays both realistically and elegantly.

Answer: Chincoteague

Chincoteague Island, off the coast of Virginia, is best known for the Chincoteague ponies, although these feral ponies actually live on nearby Assateague Island. Once a year, in the last week of July, all the ponies are herded across the shallow water to Chincoteague, where they are auctioned off, with the unsold ponies returned to Assateague.

The family in the story is based on the actual family who originally owned Misty, but some of the characters had actually died before 'Stormy' was written, and Misty was no longer with the Beebe family.

This is a story, not a history, so it worked to keep the familiar family from the first two books.

Answer: Paul and Maureen

Paul and Maureen were responsible for the family getting Misty from Pony Penning when she was a foal, because they bought her along with her mother, Phantom. By the time of this story, Phantom had returned to run with the wild ponies, but Misty was still with the Beebe family.

Answer: early March

There actually was a massive storm that hit the east coast of the US between 5 and 9 March, 1962. It was called the Ash Wednesday Storm, and also the Great March Storm, and caused terrible damage to the area. It was this destruction that led Marguerite Henry to write the third book in her 'Misty' series.

Answer: in the kitchen

In real life, the stable flooded and the family took Misty into the kitchen to stay warm and dry, since she was so close to foaling. In the book, the family had to evacuate the ranch, and left her behind in as safe a spot as they could find for her.

Answer: goat

Specifically, they left a nanny goat, who could produce milk if Misty were to have her foal while she was alone, and reject it. Sometimes mares refuse to feed a foal, especially when it is under stress, and Paul wanted to be sure there would be a milk-producing animal there that could feed the foal if that happened. Fortunately, they were able to return, and take Misty to the vet's office before Stormy was born.

Answer: crescent moon

At least, that is how it is described. The cover picture makes it look a bit more like a sickle, with a feathery bit going down her nose. She was a chestnut pinto (reddish-brown and white), but the cover of the book showed her being more brown than chestnut.

Answer: It was suggested in a letter from schoolchildren

In real life, she was named after the storm that preceded her birth, but the book described what had actually happened when Misty's first foal was born. The publisher had a competition, and children who had read the book and loved Misty sent in suggestions. Stormy's father was named Wings - which is why Misty's first foal was named Phantom Wings, after Misty's mother Phantom and the sire of all three of her foals.

The second one, wisp O' Mist, had her name selected by Marguerite Henry from the suggested names that hadn't been used.

Answer: to raise money to restore the Chincoteague ponies

Over half the wild ponies had been killed in the storm, so money was needed to buy back some of those that had been sold in previous years, to restore the population. This also happened in real life, with the two horses performing in movie theatres where the 1961 movie 'Misty' was being displayed.