'Today is the day Darlings!' Eleanor set off first firmly holding onto Baby Harriet as she stepped out into the snowy early dawn, closely followed by Aunt Mildred and Uncle Humperdinck, Hortensia and Archibold, Stephanotis and many of their neighbours and friends from the forest.
To say that they were bundled up against the cold would be true, the little group was barely recognisable what with the snow shoes and mufflers and hats and scarves. 'Very hard to walk with this many clothes on!' Uncle Humperdinck was trying to untie a very long knitted scarf that Aunt Mildred had wound around his neck, head and middle. 'Careful Humperdinck, you'll fall over!' Aunt Mildred's words of warning came just too late as with a wild fling of the end of his scarf Uncle Humperdinck fell over flat on his back in the snow.
Now I don't know how many of you are familiar with trying to stand up with snow shoes on once you fallen over, but poor Uncle Humperdinck was fast making a tricky situation much worse what with his kicking and struggling, shouting and general crossness. ' I told you the scarf was too much, wound it round me so tight I can't balance!' Luckily Eleanora came to the rescue, 'Dear Humperdinck, just keep calm, we will have you up in jiffy. Stop right now now and hold onto my hand.'
'Always the same when Eleanora takes charge' Archibold whispered to Hortensia 'She has such a calming voice'. Truth was Eleanora didn't really know how they were going to help him stand up, but she knew that he was frightened and that keeping him calm would help.
'Right you are, always bring a bit of rope in case' Archibold handed one end of the length of rope he had strung over his shoulder 'Tie it around the tree over there Stephanotis, and I'll attach it to Humperdinck!' So that was that, 'Going to burrow under you with the rope, try to keep still.' Archibold was beginning to worry about Uncle Humperdinck's shivering as what with all the falling about he had loosened many of his clothes and it was very cold. 'Now then, hold steady and we will winch you up!'
Slowly Archibold and Stephanotis heaved on the rope as Aunt Mildred and Hortensia pushed from behind. 'I'm up! I'm up!'What a to do, thank you, thank you!' Uncle Humperdinck did a sort of wild snow shoe dance with relief. 'Here have a humbug immediately, you're looking a bit pale!' Aunt Mildred believed in the power of a mint humbug to restore a gnome to health in even the most desperate of situations.
'Right, time to be on the go, good thing we left a little early, not a moment to loose' and with that Archibold popped Humperdinck's hat back on his head and set off along the path.
Nobody felt like talking much as they made their way as fast as they safely could to Look Out Point. 'Here we are, safe and sound, we will soon be warm!' Archibold and Hortensia lit the fire as the little party settled down in the pine bower that Stephanotis had prepared the day before. 'Time for the kettle to be on and some nettle tea with honey.' Aunt Mildred unpacked her basket and soon everyone was holding a warming cup of tea and a tasty piece of shortbread.
'Were just in time, look!' Eleanora pointed out across at the field as the edge of the sky turned a most beautiful rose pink 'it is going to be a wonderful day!' The gnomes sat in silence as the morning sky lit with radiant rose and gold, 'best sign you can have for the year ahead,' Archibold smiled at Baby Harriet ' a new year in your life Darling and the beginning of wonderful adventures for us all!'
So that was how it came to be that the gnomes honoured their age old tradition of a dawn greeting of the New Year - accompanied with tea and shortbread of course!
