'Toodle Pip!' shouted Aunt Mildred, 'don't forget to keep an eye on the stew!' Uncle Humperdinck waved back and called out, 'it smells so good, won't be long before I'll be eating it - don't worry I'll leave you some for tea!' He laughed as Aunt Mildred smiled back and waved her hat in the air - between you and me, it is always a good sign when a gnome waves their hat in the air, a sure sign of happiness that all gnomes recognise the world over!
As was usual when they parted, Uncle Humperdick began to sing. Gnomes usually sing when they leave or arrive on a special journey, as well as at parties and special occasions and well, pretty well anytime they feel like it. Uncle Humperdinck sang of sure footedness, of a radiant sky and of the lift to the heart that an adventure can bring and most especially of a warm home waiting at the end of a day.
Aunt Mildred waved again and then turned and went busily on her way. Soon she was indistinguishable amongst the fallen leaves and the tree roots as she set off along the path to the river's edge. 'What a day! Such a treat to be out and about on such a glorious day, Archimedes will be pleased!' For Aunt Mildred was on her way to see her cousin Archimedes who lived on Look Out Island in the middle of a bend in the river.
'Shooo, whis, whis, off you go, on your way, Mildred is coming and she wants to be able to moor her boat, move along now!' Archimedes was trying to persuade several rather obstinate ducks to make room on his little beach for Aunt Mildred's boat. Now if you have ever tried to persuade a duck to move when it doesn't want to - then you know what a job it can be. 'Always so time consuming, I suppose I'll have to bribe them again!' With that the ducks stood up, waggled their tail feathers and started waddling up to the foot of Archimedes' tree house. 'Now I know you understand, you naughty ducks, still I suppose I've trained you up out of desperation.' And with that poor Archimedes who was very, very old and more than a bit arthritic, climbed all the stairs up to his tree house to fetch some bits of stale bread for the ducks.
Meanwhile Aunt Mildred had reached the shore and was busy uncovering Archibold's boat from under it's blanket of leaves. 'Best bale it out before I get in' she muttered. Soon she had finished her preparations and after carefully stowing her basket of treats, was ready to push off. 'Not a day for much of a sail' she thought, 'bit too breezy, best use the oars'. Soon she was rowing the little blue boat out from under the trees and into the fast current of the river.
