Green moss and the trumpet call.....

'Well, well, well.........life is certainly speeding up, no wonder Archimedes chose Isabel and Stephanotis as new Keepers of Time and Memory, so much happening so fast.' Uncle Humperdinck was crunching rather energetically on a fresh mint humbug to help abate his rising anxiety. Aunt Mildred had gone to ask Hortensia to blow on her trumpet to call all of the gnomes to an emergency meeting of The Council of Venerables. He was feeling rather overwhelmed at the thought of a sudden meeting with no time to think through a strategy or prepare. "Still' he thought 'sometimes not being set in one's mind can lead to unexpected and inspired solutions, I shall expect the best.' And with that he combed his beard, tried to calm his wispy head of white curls and put on his best green velvet hat before setting off to the meeting.

Poor Archibold was out on a wander with baby Harriet showing her the ripening harvest. They were just inspecting a particularly bumper crop of crab apples - all rosy blush and crisp crabbiness - when he heard Hortensia's unmistakable trumpet call. 'Blast and bloomers, we'll have to race to the meeting my Little Cherub - hold on tight - something is very amiss,' and with that Archibold tucked baby Harriet into his waistcoat and set off at a fast trot to the Sacred Clearing (a fast trot for a gnome is very fast indeed by human standards).

From all corners of the forest, gnomes were finding their way to the meeting, a trumpet call of that nature was unmistakable and deeply troubling. Fires were left unattended, jobs undone, naps cut short - there was air of quiet consternation and not a little alarm.

The Sacred Clearing was a place of great quiet and deep peace, the soft mounds of moss were of a bright and vivid green against the deep browns and huge trunks of the ancient trees and the sunlight filtered green and golden through the leaves. Slowly the gnomes arrived and settled down on the moss. The Venerables stood in a circle in the middle in silence and then turned to face the others ' May Peace and Good Will Prevail'. the seated gnomes replied as one 'may Peace and Good Will Prevail' and with that everyone settled down to wait for the music to begin.