Odd Socks

Odd Socks.

Mrs Groundsel enjoyed washing clothes but for the past two weeks she became angry on washing day.

Her day would start as normal. She collected the dirty clothes brought them to the river bed filled a bucket with clean water and then washed the clothes. Then she would return to her cave and hang the washing on the long clothes line Breeze had made for her.

The line started at the top of the mountain and finished at the bottom of the mountain close to the edge of the wood. It might be a tiresome job to most of those who lived in the wood but Mrs. Groundsel loved washing day. She loved seeing her line of washing flapping in the wind.

Breeze said it looked like a line of colorful flags dancing around the mountain. Then in the afternoon she would take her washing from the line and begin to pair up the socks. This is when she discovered her problem.

She knew there was twelve pairs of black socks. She had five. There should have been one pair of socks in every other color. Then there were the spotty ones in different colors. Now there was one of each of the colored socks and the spotty ones.

She had a basket of odd socks.

She got angry. Her pin fell out of her hair and her hair escaped from its neat bun.  She fixed her hair then she marched to Breeze’s cave. “Have you or Hamish been messing around with my clothes line?”

Breeze shook his head. Hamish said, “No. We know better than to do something so foolish. You would not like us to do that.”

“So where did they go?” Mrs Groundsel looked at Breeze and said, “Go find them.”

“I’m not a finder of socks.” Breeze said. He noticed how angry Mrs Groundsel looked. “But I can always try.” He said.

 

(Part two following in a day or so)

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Colouring in or out?

 

This is a drawing of Spike, Breeze’s pet frog, for you to colour in as you wish.

Spike is not a normal name for a frog. However, Spike is not like every other frog.

He hates sitting on slimy lily pads. He prefers to sit on a warm rock in the sunshine or sleep in the top pocket of Breeze’s wooly shirt or waist coat.

He loves eating raspberries and blackberries. He hates flies. Spike says they tickle his throat.

Have fun colouring him in.

Squish Squash.

Breeze was babysitting Lily and Daisy-lyah. They wanted to hear a story. “A nice story, Mr. Breeze. Please.” Lily said.

Breeze looked around him and noticed Hamish planting some new cowslips in the hedges close to the wood. Hamish was bashing the ground with his shovel.

“Okay, I will do my best.” He said handing each of them a fairy cake to eat.

This was the story he told.

*******************************

“Squish, squash,” Millie sang jumping up and down in a puddle. She wore her favorite bright green boots. “I’m going to grow ideas.” She said to her Granddad.

“No we are going to grow flowers Millie,” Granddad said, “we are going to plant sunflowers.”

“Super sunflowers.” Millie sang stomping along in her boots.

Granddad took a long time to plant his seeds.

First, he dug the soil. Next, he raked it carefully before drawing a line in the soil with a stick. Then carefully he dropped in a seed every few centimeters. Next, he covered the seeds with earth and finally he watered them lightly.

Millie watched him and giggled. “You are slow at planting seeds.”

“Okay Millie show me how you can do it,” Granddad said.

 

“Lets go digging Fred.” She said to her dog.

They both dug a big hole then Millie stood with her back to the hole and threw the seeds into it. Next they covered the seeds in a mound of soil. Then they watered it with loads of water. The soil looked very soppy and wet.

Millie smiled, “now for the fun part. Come on Fred. Lets stomp them in.” They both jumped on the ground while Millie sang, “First you squish them, then you squash them, and then you watch them grow.”

 

Every morning Millie checked the garden. One week later she ran into the kitchen, “Come look, we’ have plants.”

Granddad ran out to his patch and scratched his head. There was not one plant in sight.

Millie said, “look at mine.”

Granddad looked and the ground was full of baby plants popping out of the ground as they began the race to the sky.

One month later, Granddads plants had emerged.

“They look tired.” Millie said. “Perhaps they should take a rest like mine.” Granddad looked over and saw tall sunflowers resting against the fence, the greenhouse and one was leaning against a tree.

After that Granddad began to plant his seeds just like Millie.

Breeze and the thief.

It sounded like the sky was grumbling but Hamish knew it was Breeze shouting. He decided to visit Breeze.

Hamish was huffing and puffing when he arrived at the cave to find Breeze staring at a fairy cake.

“Thank you.” Hamish said.

Breeze said, “It’s not for you. This is the last one. A thief stole the rest along with my peppermint tea.”

“Maybe they were lost or hungry,” Hamish suggested. “You know you should always give to those who have less than you do.”

“Hmm.  When they steal my stuff they have more than me. ” Breeze bent low and looked into Hamish’s eyes. “So what do I do?”

Hamish smiled. “We should ask someone smart like Elegant or Tulip. ”

“Perhaps Elegant is the one to visit first.” Breeze suggested.”Tulip usually has a Fairy Group Meeting on Wednesday afternoons. Today is Wednesday.”

They found Elegant sitting on her  front step reading a book. It was called, “How to be  the nicest witch ever.”

Breeze said, “You can’t get any nicer Elegant.”

She was delighted and said,” Thank you. Tea and cake?”

They accepted.  As he munched on caraway seed cake, Breeze asked, ” Can you make Lovisma become kind and nice?”

Elegant said, “I hope so. Why did you come to  see me?  Are you sick?”

Breeze explained his problem adding, “I think it is Dandelion Bear.”

“I don’t know this bear.” Elegant said. “She keeps to her self.”

“Ahh  a t-r-o-u-b-l-e-m-a-k-e-r  .” Breeze said.

“No, we don’t know that.” She looked at Breeze and Hamish. They looked at their feet.

Elegant was considering the problem. “Have you asked her why she is doing this?”

“I have.” Breeze said.

“And?”

“She says she didn’t do it. But Spike saw her.” The frog popped out of Breeze’s shirt pocket and said “Ribbit.”

“We need a plan.” Hamish said.

*******************

Hamish and Elegant hid in the cave as the sun peeped over the edge of the earth. Breeze was asleep.

“He sleeps too much.” Elegant muttered.

A dark shape entered the cave. Elegant flicked her wrist and a soft light came on.  It was Dandelion.  Hamish opened his mouth to shout but Elegant said “SSssshhhh.  Follow me.”

Elegant  stood before Dandelion who was choosing six cupcakes and a handful of peppermint leaves. The bear didn’t see Elegant. Dandelion walked out of the cave.  Elegant said.  “She doesn’t know she is doing it.”

Hamish said, “Rubbish I saw her. You saw her.”

“She was asleep. Dandelion bear sleepwalks.”

Hamish looked towards Breeze. “He won’t believe you.”

“Don’t worry I can make him believe.”  Elegant woke Breeze.

He looked over at his almost empty cupboard. “Did you eat them?” He asked Hamish.

“No. But I did consider it before she arrived.”

“Aha so it was Dandelion.” Breeze said.

Elegant said, “First you should watch this.”

She pointed her wand at the wall.ie“I need to show the truth to give relief,

to this ogre who is bothered by a thief.”

As Breeze and Hamish stared at the wall they saw an image of Dandelion walk into the cave. When the light dimmed. Breeze turned to them. “She was sleeping but still she has to see the crumbs and empty cases when she wakes.”

Elegant said, “Lets go and find out.”

They walked along the mountain path to Dandelions home.  They tiptoed inside.

Elegant waved her wand and said,

“Please don’t let us make a sound or she will take fright

an angry bear is not a pretty sight.”

Dandelion began to snore. Her paws were tucked under her head and a group of mice were neatly tugging the peppermint leaves out of Dandelions grasp. The mice scurried away.  Two crows swooped low to collect a cupcake before flying away into the early morning light.

The three friends walked outside.

Breeze didn’t know what to say. Elegant said. “We need to show her. ” That evening they returned to Dandelion’s cave.

Dandelion was horrified. Tears trickled down her fur. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know I am a thief.” She sobbed.

“No you are not a thief.” Elegant said. “This will help. It is a soothing potion. You will dream but you won’t sleepwalk.”

Elegant gave Breeze and Dandelion two large baskets of cakes and bakes. “These should keep you both happy for a day or two.  Dandelion if you come to my house tomorrow night I will teach you how to bake.”

Hamish looked at Breeze, “You will have a neighbour who bakes.”

Breeze said, “I must not shout at Dandelion ever again.”