The truth was out.....

Hector was hanging up his socks on some handy twigs, 'a gentle drizzle the best rinse there is, makes for softer socks don't you see?' he proudly announce to a very out of breath Archibold. Archibold had to agree, soft socks meant less aggravation of tender toes, and that had to be a good thing. 'What's up Archie, you look all of a bother, fancy a cup of tea?

Archibold knew that however bothered he felt, everything would seem better after a cup of tea, so he sat down next to the little fire and watched as Hector boiled the kettle, made a pot of tea in his best red teapot and toasted two thick slices of toast. 'Fancy a bit of jam or honey?' Archibold nodded, how was he going to tell his friend that he was going to dessert him and return home?

The gnomes were hidden from sight behind some large rhododendron bushes in the park, they had taken to getting up at first light to make sure that their fire wouldn't attract attention. 'The thing is, Hector, I just can't bear all this rushing about and having to be so careful to hide all the time, and I miss Hortensia and Harriet more every day!' Well there it was the truth was out and Archibold sat waiting for his friend to reply.

'It's true' said Hector after a while, 'even with our merge and flow skills it can be a strain to keep out of sight, plus you are not used to this way of living, you have, after all lived in the Forest most of your working life. Archibold nodded, slowly a large tear began to trickle down his cheek, 'I am so sorry to let you down Hector - but I want to go home  - now.' Hector looked at his poor woebegone friend, ' it's all right Archie, off you go, all will be well here, there is plenty of us to finish all the planting and you have done more than your share of the work.'

Archibold perked up at this, he knew that he had been working hard, the truth was that the harder he worked the less likely it was that he had time to miss his home! 'Off you go now, I'll tell the others, best be on your way before the sun is up, good luck and I'll see you soon!' The two gnomes hugged and Archibold rushed to stuff all of his clothes and belongings in a terrible muddle into his rucksack and barely rolled his hammock as he slung it by his side. 'Best not forget some provisions!' Hector handed Archibold some biscuits and cheese and some wrinkled crab apples, 'give my love to everyone at home.'

Archibold smiled his most happy of smiles and was gone!

A Dream of Warm Scones and Home!

Archibold was 'busy', seriously busy to be precise, though not necessarily in the way that you or I might understand being busy to be - for Archibold was playing 'chase the leaves'  with a rather large and very friendly dog. " So many leaves and so little time to enjoy them," Archibold waggled his bottom at the dog and then swiftly raced out of reach up a tree as the dog bounced and barked below.

" Perhaps he is getting bit tired, better lead him back to his owner I suppose," Archibold sighed and darting ahead, led the panting dog back onto the forest path " there you are now, go find your owner, we can play again tomorrow," and with that he patted the dog and sent him on his way.

If we are honest about it, I don't think Archibold really thought playing with dogs was serious work, but all gnomes have a soft spot for dogs. In their hearts they know that dogs have a very hard job indeed, as Hortensia frequently remarked, " where would humans be without their dogs - lost and lonely that's what!" So cheering up an overworked dog with a lot of responsibilities, was universally known as a very good deed indeed!

" What a to do," thought Hortensia, "Autumn is such a beautiful season but there is always so much to do." Of course she was thinking about preparing their home for the winter. Both she and Archibold liked to be snug and warm and have lots and lots of useful supplies, like extra fruitcake and crabapple rings and of course firewood and wooly socks and most importantly, not forgetting the extra specially fluffy blankets for baby Harriet's basket.

"Not long now till Harvest Supper, best be out and about and gathering!" Archibold set off at a trot to meet his friend and apprentice Stephanotis. They were planning a harvesting trip and a visit to the Oldest Gnome that anyone had ever heard of, Archimedes Bonaparte. Archimedes lived on an island in the river and was known for his disgusting herbal tea and his wise and useful advice.

Archibold was carrying a basket of fresh scones and a pot of Hortensia's best cherry jam as a present. Smelling the warm scones was almost too much to bear thinking about, so carefully hiding the basket under his seat of the boat, he rolled up his sleeves and taking up his oar, he and Stephanotis set off on their adventure.

"Try not to be too long," called Hortensia " there is so much to do and I don't want to start making the pies without you."

" Pie, lovely warm mushroom pie with cheesy mash and onion gravy, mmmmm" Archibold woke up with a start, " Home, I want to go home!" Suddenly missing the Forest and his family seemed too much to bear, " I'll talk to Hector right now, perhaps I can leave this morning. " Archibold leapt out of his hammock, pulled on his trousers and set off to find Hector in such a rush he forgot to even brush his teeth!

Setting up camp and preparing for the storm......

'Well, well, well, not quite what we expected, but comfy all the same'. Archibold was investigating the possibilities for setting up camp in the branches of the old oak tree. 'Stephanotis and I will take charge of tying up the hammocks - mind you, I can definitely feel rain is on it's way - so, best to be prepared, who's up for organising the canopy?' Isabel jumped up and down with excitement, swinging around in the leaves fixing a tarpaulin (a suitable plastic bag that the gnomes had found abandoned nearby) was her idea of a dream job! 'Come on Hector and Isolde - lets go!'

Soon the gnomes had the perfect camp set up. A lovely, pink and white striped  - and soundly waterproof roof - was securely tied to the branches and overhung their neatly tied on hammocks. Provisions were hanging up inside their rucksacks and blankets were airing on some nearby branches. Archibold wondered if some of the humans realised that the unsightly plastic bag, stuck high up in the tree hid a gnome camp, but decided it was best not to think about it.

Hector was holding his head up and sniffing the air, 'don't know about rain - feels like a storm and windy at that, may have to abandon hammocks if it really blows, up here we will be in for a real roarer!'
The other gnomes glanced at the turning leaves and had to agree. Soon they were dashing about lashing down their belongings and putting on their waterproof capes and hats. 'Oh what fun, we can sing all night'. Isabel was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect, for as all gnomes know - singing, whilst sitting out a storm high up in a mighty tree, was one of the great joys of being a gnome.'

'Best have something to eat before it arrives', Hector was passing out large chunks of cheese with Hortensia's best oak cakes and extra large slices of honey cake. Isabel handed everyone a crab apple for later and emergency supplies of mint humbugs. However cold a gnome could get (which was sometimes very, very cold indeed) a mint humbug could be relied upon to cheer up even the most morose of gnomes and to bring a wiggle back into frozen toes.

'I'm off for a short kip whilst I can, might be an idea for some of you to have a snooze too'. Though Hector was being his usual bossy self, the others knew he was right. Soon, as the branches began to gently sway and a tapping of rain drops began to sweeten the air, the gnomes snuggled down for a pre-storm nap.

Rogue planting and a change of home......

Stephanotis was digging with all his might, trying desperately to finish planting before human activity began. The gnomes were spread out along the side of the railway line at strategic vantage points. They were extremely busy planting shrubs and seedlings, so as to give the humans something uplifting to look at, as they passed by in their trains going to work.

As ever Stephanotis and Archibold were planting Buddleia saplings. Archibold was deeply passionate about  any plant that encouraged butterflies and that had purple flowers. He had such a habit of saying 'Nothing like a Buddleia - can always be relied on for a good show' so frequently, that as soon as he started to say it, the other gnomes finished the sentence for him!

Soon they stopped and gathered together to watch the first of the trains pass by. 'Bit early still' said Hector 'most of this lot will be sleeping on the train'. He didn't want the others to be disappointed if non of the humans seemed to notice their handiwork. He needn't have worried, The Forest Gnomes were mesmerised at the huge noisy trains as they went by, 'very big and noisy, but what a machine!' Archibold was instantly inspired by the idea of long distance escapades. 'We could go to the sea, I mean, we could go anywhere - what fun it would be to go so fast!' All his life, Archibold had wanted to go to the sea side, mostly when he went on escapades he had to go North to see family. Now his imagination was buzzing with possibilities.

'Not just noisy, said Isabel 'but very dirty too'. Hector had raised his eyebrows at Archibold's enthusiasm at the sight of the trains and now tried to rally the others to the job at hand. 'That's it for the day then. Now - time for breakfast!' And with that, the rather hungry gnomes rushed to where they had left their extra tools and other useful items, and of course, provisions for breakfast. Soon they were under the old railway arch, of course sensibly hidden from view by some large bushes.

They all sat around a little fire with the kettle nearly at the boil, eggs frying in a frying pan with some already softened mushrooms on the side. Archibold and Stephanotis were carefully twirling long sticks, as they made toast and Isabel and Isolde spread out the tablecloths on an old stump. Hector came back looking triumphant with some dandelion leaves to add to the mushrooms. Well, what a feast, nothing tastes as good as a picnic outside when you have been hard at work since before dawn. Needless to say, after breakfast, silence descended as they all settled down for a restorative nap (silence that is, except for the occasional snore).

When they woke up, Hector brought up a subject that had been bothering him since they had arrived in the city. 'I know that is good to all stick together, but it is rather cramped on the balcony and we are having to nip about a bit to keep out of the way. What I propose is that you move to the local park, there is a splendid old oak that provides magnificent shelter. Many is the night I have sheltered and listened to the roar of leaves as the wind blew.' He made it sound so wild and appealing that the gnomes overcame their initial disappointment not to be on Jeremy's balcony, and agreed to try making their temporary home from home, in the park.

'So much less likely to be seen, and think of the bird song in the morning', Hector smiled at Isolde, for a young gnome she was showing signs of great character and positivity.






 

Jeremy and the gnomes.....

Jeremy - for such was the name of Hector's human, found that he could bear his job as a motorbike courier as long as he spent some time relaxing on his balcony when he returned home at the end of the  day. Most of us would find Jeremy quite a dashing figure as he revved about swerving through traffic in his black leathers and gleaming black helmet, the truth was that he was more than a little desperate for a change of job.

Just lately he had found the usual comfort of his balcony a little lonely. He wasn't sure why, his plants were doing well in their big pots, but nothing seemed to be blooming quite as outrageously as usual. Jeremy leaned back in his deck chair, with his boots resting on the brick balustrade and addressed his favourite gnome statue sternly. 'Now you know that I rely on you to look after the plants, this year somethings wrong - our dahlias and sweet peas will never win the Flower Show with such poor blooms.'

He had always talked to his gnome statues, he wasn't quite sure why, but he felt that in some mysterious way, the gnomes looked after his garden. Every Spring he repainted the little statues and placed them about on his balcony garden in between all the pots. He was a bit embarrassed at having gnomes at all, but over the years had become very attached them and no longer cared that other humans thought them in very bad taste.

Unbeknownst to him, real gnomes were in fact, listening. They had just woken up after their long ordeal in trying to reach his flat before daybreak, and had spent the entire day asleep in their hammocks under the leaves. 'Dear oh Dear' thought Hector 'No supper for a bit', luckily all the gnomes had secret provisions tucked into pockets and most of them were sucking on a peppermint or nibbling a biscuit.

Hector was feeling guilty about having been away for such a long time. He could see that his human had done his very best, but the garden was definitely not looking as abundant as it should. 'Dear oh Dear, we will have to leap about and make good, Dear oh Dear'. Archibold was surreptitiously trying to take off a dead leaf and after hearing Jeremy's sad confession, all of the gnomes were taking stock of what had to be done.

Jeremy sat with his mug of tea and for the first time in many months began to feel a sense of peace and companionship on the balcony, 'I expect it will pick up, perhaps a bit of seaweed in the water tonight might help.' And with that he went to fill his watering can from the kitchen tap. The visiting gnomes heard Hector's low whistle of alarm and rushed to roll up their hammocks, stow their rucksacks and leap out of harm's way, before the cascades of water soaked them and their belongings.

'Quite an adventure already' whispered Stephanotis to Isabel as they hid behind a trowel. Isabel giggled, 'what fun we are having.' Hector was relieved that they found it so, he was feeling his responsibilities and was very grateful for a moment to think and plan ahead.

The Last Camp before the City........

The little group of gnomes had stopped for a rest before the ascent into the city. The expedition had been going very well, they had had to made a few detours where new human developments had blocked the old pathways, but overall they had made very good progress indeed. As usual when nearing human settlements, they had tried to find a welcome garden in which to rest and pitch camp. Though they still found humans' perception of what they were supposed to look like more than a bit disturbing, they were cheered up by how frequently they found welcoming statues of themselves in the humans' gardens.

' Perhaps it is partially because of our decision not to be seen any more. After all no human has caught sight of one of us for a very long time, well that is, except for The  Old Lady and her son of course, so how are they supposed to know what we look like? 'Stephanotis was gazing at a brightly coloured statue of a garden gnome with a huge belly and floppy hat, 'it's the noses that are so disturbing, where did they get the idea that we are so ugly, or so badly dressed?' Archibold snorted, ''you could go mad trying to work out how a human thinks, anything they can't understand they tend to destroy or make fun of.' He had never quite recovered his sense of humour about the staues after his work experience at The Blue Bell Garden Centre, where he had found watching humans making fun and laughing at the gnome statues so distressing that he had become overwhelmingly homesick and grumpy for rather a long time.

' Well at least we know that we are welcome and that's enough for me, lets have a slice of boiled fruit cake and some peppermint tea and then we can chose a spot to make camp and put up our hammocks!' Isabel was ever practical and knew that Hector was feeling the pressure of introducing the Forest Gnomes to his city life. Of course he had made lists of topics and useful tips to discuss of an evening after their tea, but he couldn't help wondering if he had been irresponsible to bring his friends to such a strange environment. ' Right you are Isabel, what a good idea, let's finish the fruit cake.' He had an ulterior reason as he had been carrying the cake since they had left the Forest and as everyone knows, boiled fruitcake is delicious, but very, very heavy. ' This evening we will go through  

the way traffic lights work and how to avoid surveillance cameras again.' Some of the gnomes groaned inwardly, Hector was always thorough and a lecture with question and answers could make the delights of bed time seem a long way off.

Soon however, hammocks were swinging from the lower branches of bushes and the gnomes gathered around a small fire for their supper of cheese on toast and barley broth. ' Bed, oh lovely bed' thought Isabel, and with that she clambered in, tucked her blanket firmly around her and settled down for a gentle night of sweet slumbers.

The Last of the Packing and the Beginning of the Adventure...

'What a day for an adventure' said Archibold, he and Hector were checking over the supplies and making sure that they had everything that they needed for both the trip and their stay in the Big City. 'Can never have enough rope' muttered Hector 'perhaps we can carry some across our shoulders once we have the rucksacks on?' Archibold looked slightly wild at the suggestion of yet more to carry.

The rucksacks were full to bursting as it was, and they each had their rolled up hammock, plus assorted frying pans, kettles and extra boots all tied on, as well as personal items stowed in jackets and waistcoats, extra hats strung wherever possible - and then of course, there were the seedlings and even two saplings to be carried by hand - Archibold sounded very firm indeed when he replied, 'Hector, we have to stop, we have enough with us for a six month expedition, if we carry any more we won't be able to move properly!' Hector looked up from where he was busily counting seed packets, and had to agree - 'Right you are Archibold, time to go then is it?'

So that was that, well it would have been for a normal camping or fishing trip, but it took at least two hours to separate out who was carry what, before at last the six gnomes stood in a row all ready to go. Hortensia was a bit worried that if either Hector or Archibold sat down or even worse, tipped over, that they might never be able to get up again, but thought better of saying anything. They really were quite a sight, what with their flashing smiles, stripy socks and boots really being all that could be easily seen amongst all their belongings festooned around them.

Eleanora stood side by side with Hortensia, who of course had Baby Harriet in her arms, as all the Gnomes of the Forest gathered either side of the path in a long line to wave good bye. There was much hugging and waving, passing out of mint humbugs, and then suddenly they were on their way. Archibold looked back at Hortensia, winked and bowed low with his hand on his heart, 'Not long my Darling and I will be back'. Hortensia and Harriet waved back as Hortensia, who had been saying a little prayer to the Great Benevolence to look after them on their adventure, touched her heart and gave a little bow back.

Eleanora and Hortensia watched the little procession and just as they were just about to pass out of view, began to sing. They sang of gentle blessings and adventure, of kindness and of the magic of being in between and in the right place all at once. Most of all they sang of their love for their friends and family, and how they wished them a safe trip and happy times until they came home.

Soon all of the other gnomes joined in - even the trees lifted their leaves and rustled and stirred the air - so as the little band of adventurers started out on the green path through the golden field of wheat, the air all around them was full of harmony.