Misty of Chincoteague

Misty of Chincoteague
Misty of Chincoteague cover
Author(s)	Marguerite Henry
Country	United States
Language	English
Publication date	1947
Followed by	Stormy, Misty's Foal

Misty of Chincoteague is a 1947 book by American author Marguerite Henry, inspired by a real Chincoteague Pony named Misty. Set on the coastal island of Chincoteague, Virginia, the book tells the story of the Beebe family and their efforts to raise a filly born to a wild horse. The book won the Newbery Honor.^[1] The 1961 film Misty was based on the book.^[2]

The real horse on which the book was based was actually foaled in domesticity in 1946 on Chincoteague at the Beebe Ranch, not in the wild on Assateague Island as was told in the book. However, as in the book she was sired by a stallion named Pied Piper, out of a dam called Phantom. Though these horses also were domesticated in real life, they too provided inspiration for the wild ponies portrayed in the novel. Misty was a pinto horse whose coloration included a large patch of white on her side, shaped like the United States. Her hoof prints are in the sidewalk outside the Roxy Movie Theatre in Chincoteague.^[3] After being purchased by Henry as a weanling and spending part of her life at Marguerite Henry's Wayne, Illinois home, she was moved back to Chincoteague and in 1972 she died. Her body and that of her foal Stormy have been preserved via taxidermy and can be seen at the Beebe Ranch.^[4][5] Misty had three foals, Phantom Wings in 1960, Wisp O' Mist in 1961, and Stormy in 1962. As of 2011, there are around 80 known surviving descendants of Misty. ^[6]

Sequels

• Stormy, Misty's Foal
• Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague
• A Pictorial Life Story of Misty
• Misty's Twilight

References

1. ^ Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present
2. ^ Misty at the Internet Movie Database
3. ^ Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce
4. ^ Chincoteague story
5. ^ Misty profile at roadsideamerica.com
6. ^ "Misty's Heaven Descendants of Misty of Chincoteague". http://mistysheaven.com. Retrieved 2011-01-29. 

External links

• Chincoteague Homepage
• Chincoteague Pony Association
• Horse Tails: Misty of Chincoteague
• Misty's Heaven
• The History of Misty
• More on the Beebe Family and the legendary Spanish galleon
• The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation preserves the legacy of Marguerite Henry