Tuesday 9 September 2008

"The Little Grey Men" (or in this case "brown and green".

Does anyone out there remember the books by B.B. "The Little Grey Men" and "Down the Bright Stream"? They are about the "littlepeople" who have names like Cloudberry and
Sneezewort.
Well, I think I have found one!
We live in the shelter of a bank of Scots Pine trees planted when the house was built, as a wind-break. Greater Spotted Woodpeckers love them. They come with their family to our bird table and when they have eaten their fill of peanuts they start on the trunks of the Scots Pines, looking for "afters" - tapping at the bark and dislodging great chunks in their search for insects.
This little chap (I have photographed him on a sheet of paper) fell out of the pine bark and landed on the grass, where a friend found him. Don't you think he is a fine figure of an ancient troll or something (use your imagination here). And is it significant that he landed close to this "mushroom" with its pretty green concentric circles. His house maybe? Or his umbrella?
You have been warned! There are still little grey (or in this case green and brown) men about.
But I am sure they are "goodies"!

5 comments:

Pat Posner said...

I love B.B.'s books. I think someone borrowed Little Grey Men and forgot to return it. I've got Brendon Chase - the illustrations are great.
As for your little man, I think he's MacPine and the mushroom is his haggis.

fotoface said...

WELL NOT BEING A GREAT READER.
BUT MY HEAD IS FULL OF GRAY MATTER.
AND IT POSSIBLE TO FEEL SO SMALL IN THIS GREAT BIG WORLD.

Reader Wil said...

I am afraid I didn't read those books, but I'll keep them in mind.
Thank you for telling your first husband's life story.

Dominic Rivron said...

Whenever I see a face in a stone wall, or a piece of bark, etc, I wonder what part such experiences played in early people first seeing inanimate objects and trees as having spirits inside them.

Hannah Velten said...

I loved BB's books as a child - but I couldn't remember the stories well enough (although I do remember trying to read them out loud to my Dad and being really frustrated that I couldn't say some words!)...so I recently bought a copy of 'The Little Men Go Down the Bright Stream' to remind myself. Unfortunately, it's still sitting in the bookcase. But your blog has reminded me....thank you! When I lived in Cornwall, every wall-lined track, complete with wizzend trees, moss and ivy, made me think that little people lived in the crevices...maybe they did?!