Misty's parents Pied Piper and Phantom were main charterers in Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague. The storybook charterers were wild ponies living on Assateague Island. Pied Piper was described as a commanding pinto stallion with a forelock almost as long as his tail. The book stallion was feared and Paul called him a killer. Phantom was described as copper and white colored and a map of the United States on her side. Book Phantom was a local legend who regularly evaded capture. The real ponies lives were quite different from their book counterparts.
Pied Piper Misty's Sire
Chestnut Pinto Chincoteague Pony Stallion
Pied Piper was a herd stallion on Beebe Ranch and owned by Clarence Beebe. He had other foals than Misty but we don't have any documentation of them. Pied Piper is in a photo with other Beebe Ranch ponies in a Pictorial Life Story of Misty. The photo isn't labeled as it being Pied Piper, but Maureen Beebe identified him. She said that many of his foals had a saddle marking on their back like he did. Pied Piper was trained to ride as seen in a photo taken of the stallion with Clarence Beebe.
Photo from The Pictorial Life Story of Misty
Photo on display at Beebe Ranch
Phantom Misty's Dam
Smoky Black Pinto Chincoteague Pony Mare
Phantom was one of the Beebe Ranch mares owned by Clarence Beebe. We know she was a black pinto based on photos. She was also a smoky black because of Misty being a palomino with a chestnut pinto sire. Marguerite Henry saw Phantom and Misty at Beebe Ranch and convinced Clarence Beebe to sell her Misty. Misty was too young to leave Phantom at the time so Misty stayed with her dam for four more months. Phantom was trained to ride based on a photo of her with Maureen Beebe aboard. A visitor to Beebe Ranch in 1951 said in an article that Phantom was still there. She likely had other foals and one may have been a stallion on Assateague. A Breyer model of Phantom was released in 2022.