Thursday 26 April 2012

Serious training and a little understanding!

Dear Reader - so happy to say that there is now a Youtube version of this if you would like this latest story read to you....!


Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmvVwzlUf5I&feature=youtube_gdata_player


'What a wonderful day today is,' thought Hortensia, she was out early and even though the wind was up and the grass was very wet, she was enjoying every minute. She was collecting some small twigs of apple blossom to put by everyone's beds, 'full of happiness but not too scented and most uplifting first thing in the morning!' She was singing a little song to herself and the trees of course, thanking them for letting her take some of their twigs and blossom, when she noticed the Old Lady and her Son making their way to the forest.

They had been as good as their word and every day that passed they spent more and more time in the forest. Today was a special day because it was the start of marking out the paths for other humans to take their walks on. The Old Lady was worried that the gnomes would be overwhelmed by the size of everything. Just in case of a general Gnome Panic at having a strange group of humans walking about making plans for the future of their home, she had decided to spend the day being available. She had brought a good supply of biscuits and a warm coat and scarf and fluffy hat, so settled herself down on an old log to enjoy the bird song and have a nibble on a nice bit of shortbread.

Everyone thought that starting with paths for nature lovers and dog walkers was the best place to begin. After all, as humans and gnomes both loved picnics they were starting from a place of mutual understanding.

Hector and Archibold were holding evening classes on understanding humans and their dogs. Most gnomes found the relationships difficult to understand, why a dog would allow themselves to be kept on a lead at all was bewildering, and why humans trained dogs to exhibit such strange behaviour was just downright peculiar. Of course there was the other anxiety of dogs when off the lead liking to play with gnomes - and the gnomes having to stay hidden! Nothing a dog likes more than a good game of hide and seek with a frisky young gnome leading the chase, and truth to tell, nothing a young gnome likes much more, except perhaps mashed potatoes with melted butter.

Still Archimedes had instructed Hector and Archibold to check that everyone's Flow and Merge skills were in tip top form. The evening classes were a great focal point of an evening and providing much hilarity and fun as a by product of the serious instruction. Hector had of course taken advantage of the opportunity to update some of the younger gnomes yet again on the delights of motorbike riding and abseiling. He had become an expert at making suitable 'broom, broom' noises as they practised on imaginary motor bikes. The truth was that there was very likely to be at the very least, a mountain biking area - if not a motor bike trail as well, so getting accustomed to the imaginary sounds of a motorbike was a very useful and good idea indeed!



Monday 16 April 2012

Plans, lists and violets......

Hortensia caught her breath in delight, for there in front of here was the first violet of the season. She bent down to the precious flower bravely holding it's head up in the morning sunlight and kissed the delicate petals, 'such a joy' she thought, 'and what a good omen so early in the year'. The gnomes were in a general state of busy excitement. Spring was truly taking hold and every day brought new developments that were to be cherished and shared. Hortensia, as you know, was in charge of The Violet Walk, but there was also the great drifts of luminous bluebells, and all the new vibrant greens that graced the branches and bushes everywhere they looked. Aunt Mildred loved the milky yellow of the first primroses and was particularly proud of her wildflower patch full of early colour.

All of this abundant growth gave Archimedes a lot to think about. Hector had been busy telling the gnomes about some of the projects he had been involved with in the city. Archimedes felt a great deal more reassured that their involvement was to be kept a secret from other humans, but still wondered how a a daily influx of humans into their forest would affect their way of life. 'I shall have to wait and see, best to stay with where we are now and not worry too much'. He knew that he was privileged because he could always retreat to his island home in the middle of the river, but he worried for the forest and gnomes in his care.

Archibold and Hortensia had been keeping an open house since Eleanora and Hectors' arrival, and most evenings after supper were now spent making Plans. Hector had told them of some of the occupations that humans most liked to do when in nature, such as mountain biking, canoeing, walking and hiking and of course picnicking. Some of the gnomes had been amazed at how similar humans were in their interests, but still had serious doubts and wondered how they could both co exist in the same forest.

So Hortensia had started making lists. On one side of the long scroll of paper (another of Uncle Hunperdinck's special skills - he loved paper making) she started listing gnome activities and on the other side, human activities. She made lists of areas out of bounds and areas that they would volunteer for human use. Well it was overwhelming at first, but slowly a shape began to emerge of a forest that would have two worlds coexisting as one.

Gnomes would have access and stewardship of everything of course, but humans would also have access and pathways so that they could visit and be restored by the special life of the forest. If worse came to worse, the gnomes were well aware that should a human blunder into an out of bounds area such as the Sacred Clearing - then the stillness of the air would overwhelm them  - they would simply fall asleep for a while and then wake up, go home and forget all about their visit.

Such a hive of activity, so much thinking and noticing and all combined with the bursting forth of Spring! Eleanora often sat in the golden light by the side of the river to be still for a while, dreaming and thinking and listening to the burble of the river as it brought news and ideas from afar. 'Soon it will all begin' she thought ' the changes are nearly upon us, we must hold steady in our hearts and listen carefully'.

Thursday 5 April 2012

Fear and cheesy potato pie.........

Archimedes was sitting on an old stump at the edge of the river. He was feeling a bit melancholic about the day's events, proud as he was of Eleanora and her guidance - and much as he knew that her pledge was the only way forward - with all his being he wished that things could have turned out differently. As one of the older Venerables and a Keeper of Time and Memory, he had been allowing himself to remember some of the old tales from times when gnomes had trusted humans and worked together for their common good. As far as he could recall, he just couldn't remember a single time when the gnomes hadn't been betrayed by humans and had had to face losing their homes and retreat into fewer and fewer of their sacred places. 'I shall have to talk with Hector, he has much to do with modern humans, perhaps he can lighten my sense of foreboding.'

So gently standing up, for he was than a little stiff after sitting so long by the water's edge, he set off back to Persimmon Heights. As he rounded Aunt Mildred's mint garden and was making his way up the hill, he was met with great enthusiasm by an excited Archibold. 'Hortensia sent me to find you, suppers ready and she has made your favourite potato and cheese pie.' As you can imagine, Archimedes' pace picked up and the two gnomes were home in no time at all and joining the others round the packed table.

Everyone tucked in and because of the momentous events of the day, had seconds and a few thirds just to steady themselves after the shock of such a turbulent meeting. As Hortensia served out the stewed plums with golden custard - one ruby plum each was more than enough as they were so full - Archibold rose to his feet. 'Hortie and I have been talking as we prepared the dinner, and we want to bring into the open everyone's big fear about our project. We know that all of us have heard the stories of how we don't have anything to do with humans directly because Things always end badly for us gnomes. Well, we want to say that if we know that, why can't we set things up so that just the Old Lady and Harold know us for now and that it will stay that way. That way we can chose which humans to relate to and when?'

Such sensibility left the gnomes silent with relief and admiration - though it was true they were also very full. Then at last Hector stood up, 'what a good idea, troubles always come from a certain type of ambitious human, they are fairly easy to spot so if we aren't going to be involved and visible to all of them, we can work out how to handle the others!' Such a satisfactory solution to such a deep anxiety was a cause for general celebration. Humperdinck pulled out his concertina and soon the gnomes were singing and waving their mugs of mint tea in their air as they celebrated a a truly momentous day.

Hortensia paused on the stairs, she was carrying baby Harriet up to bed, but had stopped to gaze through the little window. The moon was shining brightly over the forest, hugging Harriet to her she looked down at her sleepy baby, 'Oh Harriet, such times ahead Little Darling, may you always be safe in all that you do.' Baby Harriet blinked at her and gave a little smile as she snuggled in her shawl, she wasn't worried - after all she had Eleanora and the Blue Stone to guide and protect her as well as the best parents a baby gnome could ask for!