'So heavy, must be the best crop we've had for years!' Archibold and Stephanotis were pushing the big barrow back home, full to the brim with shiny golden crab apples. 'Can't wait to taste the jelly' said Archibold 'or the fritters' said a very puffed Stephanotis, who really liked apple fritters best of all the tasty treats that he adored.
Soon they rounded the bend in the track and could see Hortensia and Aunt Mildred bustling about through the open kitchen door.
'Here's your apron Darling, what a magnificent harvest, there will be enough jelly for the whole winter long!'
As the forest resounded to the whack of axes, the gnomes chopped the apples in half ready to be popped into the big cauldron. Then as the delectable sweetness of simmering apples and birch tree sap - with just a hint of rose geranium leaves - wafted through the trees, the gnomes began to sing a song of the joys of harvest and and of having a well stocked larder for the winter ahead.
Aunt Mildred was standing on a stool as she gently stirred the simmering apples, 'soon be ready to strain' she called out.
And with that Archibold and Stephanotis tugged ever more fiercely at the ropes strung between the trees holding up the the big cloth bag made from one of Mrs Partridge's long lost lost handkerchiefs. ' Has to stay high enough to clear the top of the pot even when full of hot apples' Hortensia called out as Stephanotis leaned precariously from a branch.
Archibold wiggled his eyebrows, always a sign of exasperation, as he pushed the big bowl directly under the bag. 'Just perfect Darling' called out Hortensia, 'Humph' said Archibold but thought better of saying anything more.
Very precariously the gnomes started carrying jugs of hot apple mixture up the ladder to where the big branch leaned out, and handed the jugs to Stephanotis who gently poured them in.
'So brave' murmured Hortensia, 'a truly noble gnome!'
Because there were so many full jugs to carry the gnomes were feeling rather tired by the time the apples began to slowly drip into the bowl below.
'Time for fritters' called out Aunt Mildred just in time to wake everyone up who had begun to doze off. 'Its going to be a long night so best tuck in now!'
So that is how the night of watching began. The gnomes had to watch the apple mixture because as good as their relationships with foxes and badgers and even rabbits were, apple syrup is a rare delicacy and so very tempting to taste!
Mind you, it is hard to stay awake when more than a little bit tired and with a tummy full of soft apple fritters with honey syrup, so who really knows if there might have been any secret early tastings or not..... it was said that Mrs Badger of Ivy Hollow seemed to take a very long time to clean her whiskers the next morning, but maybe that was for a completely different reason.....
