Twilight and butterflies of joy........

Isabel lifted her arms, looked up to the golden light and sang in the twilight.......she sang of the beauty of Spring, of hope blooming anew in the heart, of a baby's smile, of the radiance of blossom against a blue sky and of flowers.......all the abundance and colour and joy of flowers. As she sang the gnomes lifted their eyes to see the golden light filtering through the green leaves of the pavilion and knew themselves blessed indeed. Just when it seemed impossible to imagine anything more beautiful, Archibold and Stephanotis, who had climbed up and hidden in the canopy, released a cloud of butterflies from their baskets. As the iridescent butterflies fluttered free, Isabel began to sing an old favourite and soon everyone was joining in.

'Time for The Revels - time for dancing!' Uncle Humperdinck was beating time with his stick and a little band of concertinas, fiddles and the odd flute and zither were assembling on the podium. Stephanotis bowed low before Isabel and taking off his new courting hat, asked her to take to the floor for the first dance. Well that was that, when everyone saw Isabel agree, hats were thrown in the air and soon gnomes were leaping and pirouetting and promenading with gusto and glee - a grand dance was taking shape!

'I'll just have a little sit down for a minute, what a song, what a song - and Stephanotis's hat giving him such confidence'. Aunt Mildred was feeling overwhelmed again, but very pleased. She settled down and began to watch the dancing, keeping time with one of her feet and gently sucking on her pipe.

So all was well and the little pavilion was alive with joy as the stars began to shine through the blue of the twilight - very well indeed..........