Dancing into Spring.......

'What a to do, what a to do....' Hortensia was muttering to herself as she eyed the huge pile of fresh wild garlic leaves that Archibold had proudly brought home after his morning forage. 'I really only needed a few leaves.......' Suddenly she knew what to do with the unexpected surplus, 'a party, that's what, we'll have a party, and I can use all the leaves for a lovely dish of cheese and garlic bake!' Hortensia tied on her lucky blue apron, the one with little red hearts embroidered on the hem and set to washing the leaves.

Archibold was presented with a lump of really rather hard cheese and an old roll when he returned home for lunch, Hortensia had even prepared a long list of invitations for him to deliver as soon as he had finished his cup of tea. 'Nothing like a Start of Spring Party' said Hortensia, 'best to give everybody lots of notice so they can plan what they are going to wear.'

Gnomes are mostly quite practical about clothing, but as Archibold remarked later that afternoon when he was flopped in the rocking chair exhausted by delivering all of the invitations, 'not often we get a chance to wear something bright.' Like all gnomes, Archibold and Hortensia honoured the old code that all the creatures of the forest lived by, and only wore clothing that blended in with their natural habitat so as to be as inconspicuous as possible. 'Thats why parties are essential Archie, can you imagine never having an opportunity to wear your red velvet waistcoat again?'

Hortensia was quite red in the face herself from the effort of making ten large dishes of rolled garlic leaves stuffed with fresh cheese, herbs and breadcrumbs in a cheese sauce. 'I'll have to start putting them in the oven soon, and then there is the bramble crumble to finish, oh my oh my, so much to do!' Archie smiled at her as he offered to be in charge of keeping the oven hot and baking the delicious treats. 'More than enough My Dear, you really have excelled yourself his time!'

Hortensia dashed upstairs to cool her face and choose her outfit for the evening ahead. 'Such a relief to be having a supper party, no need to set the table and just think of the dancing!' Downstairs Archibold was keeping an eye on the dishes in the oven as the glorious smell of cheese and garlic began to waft about the house. He began to lift the extra chairs of their wooden pegs where they hung high up on the walls. All gnomes keep extra chairs in case visitors come by, sensibly storing them out of harms way high up on the walls of their houses, but conveniently within reach from a small step ladder.

'Ta da da, ta ta da ta!' Archibold whirled around holding a chair as his dancing partner when he suddenly stopped in amazement, Hortensia stood in the doorway, she was wearing a glorious blue dress the colour of a summer sky and Archibold knew with all his being, that he just had to sweep off her feet for a little dance of happiness..............