'Stillness' thought Eleanora, 'I must find a moment to sit in stillness'. She had been up in the night worrying about the big meeting planned for the afternoon. The gnomes had delivered what was to them was a giant message on the lawn outside the Old Lady's patio doors. Spelled out carefully in pine cones and in modern English, were the words - MEETING IN THE GLADE AT 3PM TODAY, PLEASE COME - ALL WELCOME! The problem was that though all the Forest Gnomes knew Harold was Harold's name, no-one seemed to know the Old Lady's name.
Archibold had been waiting for the Old Lady's post to arrive for several days in a row to try and read her name on an envelope. He had even tried climbing up the front door, pushing and then propping open the flap of the letter box in order to squint at her name on the letters on the mat. Luckily he had survived a nasty squeeze, for when leaning in a bit too far, the flap had come free of the bit of wood he had made as a prop - and snapped shut around his tummy. As he sat on the front step afterwards rubbing his poor bruised tummy, he had been very grateful for the padding around his middle and the very sensible tweed jacket and waistcoat that had protected him. He had made out a Mrs and the first initial on an envelope just before his accident, but that was all. So the message on the lawn remained as planned, simple and to the point.
Eleanora had found herself wondering what the L stood for, It was in fact Letitia but as this was not a name in common usage with gnomes, she didn't think of it. She had been leaning more towards Lavender or Lilac as possibilities, mostly it has to be said as they were two of her favourite plants because they smelled so fragrant. She thought that Harold's name starting with an H was a very good omen. Gnomes are partial to names beginning with Hs - think of the ones that we know; Hortensia, Hector, Horatio, Harriet, all gnomes revere the stabilising qualities that a name beginning with an H can bring.
Eleanora continued with her walk, the wind was up and the tress were whispering and rustling with anxiety and feeling of change. She found that her feet had made their way to the Sacred Clearing, so sitting on a mossy hummock she shut her eyes and began to listen. Soon a little song was expanding in her heart and she felt the kindness of the great stillness all around. 'This is how we must begin' she thought, ' we must remember to be carry peace within us no matter what we encounter'. She knew it was a tall order when so many of the gnomes were frightened. She herself couldn't quite remember the last time that she had met a human, let alone two. However she felt reassured that both Mildred and Hortensia and little Harriet had all vouched for the character of the Old Lady and Harold.
She was so deep in her thoughts that didn't hear Archimedes arrive at the edge of the clearing. Leaning on his stick, he gazed at Eleanora. He had always thought her beautiful, but in the morning light with her long radiant hair all around he remembered how much he had longed to begin courting when they had both been young. 'Wise she was to know better, we had our destinies and to follow them was the right path'. Eleanora opened her beautiful blue eyes and gazing right at him smiled, Archimedes felt as though sunlight was shining in his heart and bowing low, doffed his hat.
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