Monday 1 July 2013

Dandelions and fighting talk!



Archibold was sitting in his armchair relaxing and reading aloud from his favourite newspaper, 'The Gnome's Digest', after enjoying a tasty dinner of mushroom stew with herby dumplings. 

Hortensia was resting her feet, (which truth to tell were still recovering from dancing at The Mid Summer Revels), in a bowl of sweetly scented lavender water. She was feeling rather sleepy and in fact was just beginning to doze off when Archibold suddenly exclaimed, ' there I knew it, at last, O'Dophoplus has taken up the cause for Dandelions!' and with that he began to read aloud........

'The humble dandelion - friend or foe?, you see Hortensia, just what I have been saying all along?' Hortensia tried to look interested but was too sleepy to say anything other than a quiet 'really Dear?' That however was quite enough for Archibold who began to read aloud in earnest..... 

' Here goes Hortie, I'll just read the whole article to you, to save you having to read it yourself.' Hortensia loved being read to, especially by Archibold as to her mind he had the loveliest of voices, she just wasn't too sure she wanted to hear about dandelions at the end of a long day. 

Archibold coughed, sat up straight and began, 'The vagaries of human taste are most peculiar - especially with regard to what humans call 'weeds'. Imagine a flower bed full of the riotous joy of dandelions intermingled with ox eye daisies and cornflowers, yet what human would gladly introduce such a thing to their beloved garden?  - Just what I think Hortie, that was a mix we tried in the long field, looked a treat too!' Hortensia rolled her eyes and tried hard to stay awake.

'From a Gnome's perspective, a human's hatred of dandelions is just plain absurd. Compare the humble dandelion with the common, and to humans, most acceptable marigold. Both glorious in bloom, radiant with colour, both upright and of good character in their cheerfulness inducing qualities - but the lowly dandelion is despised and removed in disgust whilst the marigold cherished and nurtured!

As a gnome of many years experience in supporting humans in their efforts to bring an earthly paradise to their gardens, I can truly report that their tastes are often most at variance with the natural abundance that could be theirs for the planting, for what we call The king of Cheerfulness, is much loved by the insect world and by us gnomes, and is deserving of a nobler future!

Toddle pip for now!

Yours in service, Humbert O'Dopholus - author of 'From a Gnome's perspective'

Well Hortensia, what an article, how right he is!' Sadly for Archibold and his enthusiasm, all that Hortensia could manage in reply was a gentle snuffle, for she was well and truely asleep!

'Well, well, nothing for it I suppose, I might as well have forty winks too ' and with that Archibold leaned back contentedly, patted his folded newspaper and fell asleep too!



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