Tuesday 5 October 2010

Middle earth calling............





Do you believe in the little people? Of course you don't (TFE excepted!) and yet - and yet. I used to love the books 'The Little Grey Men' and 'Down the Bright Stream', both written by 'BB' (the pseudonym of W Watkins-Pitchford) and I also enjoy both 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings'. Alright, so that doesn't make me a believer in such things but it does add a certain piquancy to one's afternoon walk.

Yesterday was the most glorious day here - warm, sunny, light breeze, clear air, big skies. Tess and I walked the two miles down the lane to Forty acre wood, The wood was magical, sun streaming through the trees, a long vista down the ride, pheasant everywhere, even a roedeer among the trees. We saw not a single human being on the whole walk, just grey squirrel, pheasant, partridge, deer, rooks a plenty, rabbits by the score. On a day like that anything is possible.

Coming back the lane is very slightly uphill and I am beginning to tire (not Tess, she is totally tireless) so I try to engage my mind in some serious thinking so that I am not thinking about the gradient all the time. Remember I had just seen that magical wood, some beautiful ferns, a lovely patch of big toadstools - oh yes, anything is possible on a day like that:-

Cloudberry and Sneezewort were out in Forty acre wood collecting produce for their winter store in the old tree trunk. Cloudberry had his little wheelbarrow and Sneezewort a sack over his shoulder. There was much to collect for the elderberries were ripe - just ripe enough to make their favourite wine; the rowan berries glowed red on the changing trees - they had to gather those before the mistle thrushes got there; the hazel nuts were so ripe that they were beginning to fall onto the ground - that would never do, the pheasants would soon clear them up.
Here and there were patches of fungi - and of course these little gnomes knew exactly what was eatable and what was poisonous. They were both very busy when suddenly Sneezewort put a hand on Cloudberry's shoulder and said,
"Shh! There's a human coming, I can feel the ground vibrating."
Pushing their spoils under a pile of beech leaves they crept quietly under a nearby fern, and watched as the human, with her little dog, approached.
Now gnomes are not awfully keen on dogs with their powerful noses and they began to tremble as they saw the little black nose approaching. When it reached the fern it
stopped, sniffed once or twice, then - much to their surprise - the little dog gave a jaunty wink and whispered,
"Your secret is safe with me. Us non-humans have got to stick together."

If you believe that you will believe anything. But do believe one thing - yesterday Forty acre wood was bristling with wildlife and with magic - so anything is possible.

22 comments:

jeanette from everton terrace said...

I prefer to believe in everything - makes life so much more fun. I would love to walk your Forty acre wood, it sounds magical - even without the adorable Mr. Cloudberry and Sneezewort. FUN story.

Reader Wil said...

There are bound to be some gnomes, although they usually sleep during daytime. They come out at night and do their work then.
I know this all from a book called " Secrets of the Gnomes"written by Wil Huygen and illustrated by Rien Poortvliet. The last one is famous for his illustrations in many books. I even posted an entry about gnomes and at Easter illustrations from a book called"He was one of us...".

So, yes your story is very much to my liking! Thank you!

Arija said...

Well, I may not believe it literally but then again, you were only looking one way and did not see the shinanegins behind you. So much more goes on in a place like that than we blind humans are aware of.

Unknown said...

I'm quite sure my friend, Dauby, and his associate, Bramling Leafmould, would be aghast at the suggestion that they didn't exist!
http://diaryofastudioelf.blogspot.com/

Heather said...

Just because I've never seen a gnome it doesn't mean they don't exist. A truly magical story Pat, and inspired by equally magical surroundings. Thankyou once again for taking us with you.

Tramp said...

Now, Weaver, that is serious thinking ;-)
...Tramp

Jinksy said...

I believe EVERY word, naturally! LOL :)

Jeannette StG said...

Love the mushrooms, Weaver...and the gnomes:)

Tess Kincaid said...

I believe!!

Thanks for the delicious sounding mushroom and pasta dish! I had to google "chestnut mushrooms" and found they are what we commonly call "white button" mushrooms. I like your version better!

Pondside said...

Anything's possible, Weaver, when one has one's imagination, a good companion and a beautiful day in the woods.
Can you tell me, please, what breed your Tess is? I miss my Cairn, Rosie, dreadfully, and am thinking of looking at another terrier, and might as well look at other sorts of terriers while I'm at it.

angryparsnip said...

I believe !
Wonderful pictures and story... You live in a beautiful area.

cheers, parsnip

Penny said...

sounds wonderful.Looks pretty good too. I can believe in all sorts of things.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

My cousin just sent me a card which will end up on my blog in some way or another "there are still a few remnants of magic still left in the world." Thanks for this post. What a lovely imagination you have. Magical indeed!

Cloudia said...

I believe and am charmed! (Not unusual responses to your dear posts :)

The Menehune still watch us from the hills here in our islands...



Warm Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

Acornmoon said...

the hobgoblins are busy here too and send you their best wishes.

MorningAJ said...

Of course I believe in the fair folk. And I know enough not to use the "F" word (you know - the washing up liquid one) for fear of upsetting them.

I have to point out though, that Cloudberry was the bad-tempered one who ran off with the geese on their winter migration.

It would have been Baldmoney and Sneezewort! Dodder would, of course, have been fishing. :)

MarmaladeRose said...

LOL! I bet you were home before you could finish your magical tale, even though it is up hill!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Glad I am amongst believers. So all the ghoulies and beasties and things that go bump in the bnight - they are all there if we look for them! Morning AJ seems well up in those little grey men - I shall have to get the books out and read them again.

Rusty said...

Naturally anything is possible. I'm always interested in what the wild (so called) animals tell me about things. Just because *I* can't see or hear them - well......ATB! ;)

Jenn Jilks said...

Anythings is possible, I believe.

Golden West said...

Your writing skills and the charming illustrations of Valerie over at Acorn Moon could combine in a most charming children's story, Weaver.

PurestGreen said...

Wonderful post. The word "sneezewort" alone is magical. You paint a wonderful picture of another world.