The kite with a sting in its tail

 

It was hot. There was not the sound of a single bee buzzing. The wood appeared to be empty of animals, and magical beings.

Breeze was on his way to the river. He wanted to paddle his feet. A loud rustle among the leaves above startled him. He spotted a long tail and wondered if it was a giant mouse. It darted away from him. Breeze followed. He ran from tree to tree, staring upwards. Suddenly he tripped. He hit the ground with a loud thump.

Breeze discovered he had fallen over Hamish.

“Have you no manners?” yelled Hamish. “What are you doing squishing Elves?”

Pulling himself to his feet, Breeze replied, “Sorry there is a giant mouse in the trees.”

“Don’t be silly. They live on the ground, not in trees.” Hamish lay back on his bed of moss. “Go away, it’s nap time.”

Breeze decided to leave because a grumpy elf is better left alone. He walked on looking for the mouse and Tulip stopped him to ask why he was looking upwards. He told her about the mouse.

“Lets look for it together.” She said and then they heard it.

When they looked high amongst the trees they spotted a tail with ribbons on it, in a tree.   “If it is not a mouse, what is it?”

Tulip said, “It’s a kite.” she said and flew high above him to release it.

The kite landed at his feet. “What does it do?”

“I’ll show you.” Tulip took the kite and flew a short distance away. The wind caught hold  and the kite flew after her, swooping and diving. With it’s long tail dancing in the wind, it attracted a lot of attention.

Mrs. Groundsel and her grandchildren came to watch the fun.

As the kite tumbled about in the air something strange happened.

Each time it danced in a certain direction so did everyone on the ground.

If the kite dived to earth, everyone watching fell to the ground.

When the kite flew high into the sky, then everyone jumped off the ground and they rose high into the air.

Lily, a tiny ogre, was screaming, “make it stop, I don’t like it.”

The kite began to dance as it moved.

“This is not funny.” Mrs Groundsel puffed as she jigged about.

“I think I know who did this.” Breeze said and marched into the wood.

Tulip couldn’t pull the kite down. It continued to dance in the sky. Everyone watching danced on the grass.

“I’m too old for this.” Mrs. Groundsel said.

Breeze arrived back with a squealing young witch called Lovisma, tucked under his right arm.

“Let me down you oaf.”

He plonked her on the ground, saying, “Lovisma, I’m not an oaf. I’m an ogre.”

Lovisma saw the dancing crowd before her. She cackled with delight. “Oh you do look funny. My friends would love to see this.”

Breeze said,  “make it stop or I will lock you in with Hamish’s pet skunk, Smelly.”

“No, No, No.  You can’t. He stinks.”

“Why shouldn’t we? You have been nasty.” Breeze said.

“You are nice.” She looked at her feet. “You don’t do stuff like that.”

Breeze said, “Lovisma, make it stop.”

She clicked her fingers and the kite raced landed on the ground. Everyone sat for a rest.

“You are one mean witch,” Tulip said.

“But it was funny, wasn’t it?” Lovisma whispered.  “It wasn’t that nasty. Maybe I should try it in another part of the wood and tell my friends to come watch.”

Breeze said, “No you won’t.”

Lovisma trudged away saying, “Breeze is an oaf, a big spoilsport oaf.”

Everyone shouted after her, “No he is an Ogre!”

 

 

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A note from Breeze.

Hi,

I understand some people are asking why is there a fishing line dangling down the side of a blog site about a wood?

The answer is simple. The worm – Hector and I have found a great use for this.

It happened by chance when I was taking a nap in my favourite tree after a morning spent fishing (I caught nothing!)

The rod slipped and the hook slid down to the ground where Mrs. Groundsel was laying out a picnic for her grand children. My hook caught on a berry pie. I woke found the rod lying across my feet and pulled the line up to discover – a nice warm berry pie.

So there you have it, – Hector hops on the hook, I lower him over those people below having a picnic and he finds a tasty snack for this ogre. In return I allow Hector’s family to live in the mossy mound outside my cave undisturbed, guaranteed never to be dug.

The story of Star the stubborn duck.

Breeze decided today he would find the answer to the question, – why would a duck wear wellington boots?

He dressed early, long before the sun was up, packed a snack bag full of berries, oat bars, apples and a giant raspberry muffin. “Best not take any chances for I could be waiting a long time for this strange duck to appear.” He muttered.

When he arrived at the pond he was happy to see the only occupant was a frog. Spike popped out of Breeze’s pocket and went to have a chat with his friend on a lily leaf.

Breeze climbed into the nearest tree close to the pond and sat. Soon he was rewarded by the sight of a long thin duck clomping his way across the grass to the pond. Breeze decided to stay where he was, so he wouldn’t frighten the strange duck.

“Morning,” he said.

The duck looked at Breeze and said, “Morning.” Then turned to the water and bending low took a long drink.

“Nice boots.” Breeze said.

“Thank you. I rather like them as well.” The duck sat down on the grass and stared at Breeze.

“I don’t see many ogres hiding in trees.” The duck said.

“And I don’t see many ducks wearing blue boots with yellow stars.” Breeze politely replied.

“No seems like we are both a little different.”

Breeze decided then and there he liked this strange duck. “I am Breeze, would you like an apple?” At the duck’s nod he threw an apple to the duck.

“Thank you I am Star.” the duck said.

“Can I ask why you wear boots?”

Star the duck smiled. After a few moments of thought he said, “Because I am allergic to water, it makes my feathers itch and turn red.”

Breeze looked at the duck and at his blue boots. He didn’t believe this story and decided beaks are pointy and a snip from a bird can hurt. His answer was tactful.  “That makes sense I suppose. I should go, but would you like the rest of my picnic?”

“Thank you. It does get boring watching my friends playing in water while I simply sit and stare.”

“Good bye Star, I will ask my friend Tulip to solve your problem.” As he left he noticed a sadness in the ducks eyes.

Later Breeze discovered the truth from Tulip, his best friend. “Star is one silly stubborn duck. She got her feet trapped in those wellies by Lovisma because she kept stealing Lovisma’s fish dinners. If the duck asks for help the curse will be lifted, but she is one stubborn duck.”

“So I  should help her if she won’t help herself.” He muttered.

Breeze went in search of Lovisma. He found her concocting a smelly potion in her favorite bright red cauldron.

“I’m busy.” She said.

“I don’t care.” Breeze said. He walked over and gave the witch a nudge with his elbow sending her wand flying some distance away. She fell over and he sat on her.

“Now you are not busy and I want you to release Star from the spell. I will make sure she doesn’t eat your dinners anymore. Do we have a deal?”

Lovisma was turning a nasty shade of pink, a colour she detested. She squeaked, “Yes but get off me you oaf you are squishing me and ruining my potion.”

He stood and helped her to her feet. “You don’t look squished merely pink.” He said with a smile. “Do it now, release Star.”

Lovisma grumbled and groaned but she did as he asked for one simple reason Breeze knew too many people whose magic was stronger than hers.

Breeze returned to the pond and wasn’t surprised to see a pair of blue boots with yellow stars sitting beside his empty lunch bag. Sitting on the bag was a note. It read: Thank you for helping me, I am flying to the nearest orchard to find some sweet apples, they taste better than fish.

Breeze hoped she would leave some apples for him because he would hate to have to squish a pretty thin duck.

Matt’s Christmas Adventure. – A Christmas 2 part story.

It was the 24th December. Every child, big and small, was hoping Santa would stop in Mudpile Wood. Last year he had enjoyed a mug of hot milk and some of Tulips Cinnamon fairy cakes. This year she planned on giving him Mincemeat bread along with his customary hot drink.
Breeze was collecting holly, with berries, for his relations. Ogres loved to decorate their cave with holly. This meant Breeze had to fight off the birds who wanted to eat the berries not sit and look at them.
He began to walk home underneath his large pile of holly which made him look like a moving holly bush. Breeze heard Lily say, “But what will we do if he doesn’t have time to stop? He is a busy man.” Breeze dropped his load of holly and sat down behind it. He wanted to hear the answer to Lily’s question.
Matt said, “I have been thinking of this and this is what we will do.”
Breeze held his breath to hear more but Matt was whispering and he couldn’t find out what Matt planned to do. He collected the holly and decided it might be best to keep an eye on the group of children. He didn’t want them getting into trouble before Christmas.

Breeze spent the afternoon decorating his cave. He finished it at dinner time. Matt’s mum Nell came rushing into Breeze’s cave. “He is gone. Matt is gone. Lily says it was an accident but she won’t tell me anything please help Mr. Breeze.”
Breeze sighed, looked very sadly at his red berry and mushroom pie, “Don’t go anywhere.” He said, then decided to scoop it into his hands to eat as he followed Nell out into the cool evening air.

They found Lily sitting outside her house. She was crying as she said, “It wasn’t my fault, or Matt’s or Lov..It just went wrong. The bubble ate him and carried him away.”
“Where to, Lily?” Breeze asked.
She pointed towards the clouds.
They all stood looking at the twinkling stars and wondered what to do next. “He hasn’t even got his hat and coat,” Nell sobbed.

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

Matt was happy inside his soap bubble which Lovisma’s spell had made strong as steel. Earlier when Matt asked her to create a spell to make the bubble bigger and stronger, Lovisma was curious to see what would happen. Matt sat on a cushion of moss inside the bubble which sat on a branch of a tree. Lovisma watched him until she got bored and left.

As the sun began to sink in the sky the wind decided to play with the ogre sitting in the bubble. It pushed and pulled until the bubble was carried away high into the sky. Matt thought this was fun, he could see everyone below him.
His mum was hanging out her washing. He waved at her but she couldn’t see him. The bubble swooped low and one of his dad’s vests was sucked into the bubble to land beside Matt. He put it on.
The bubble swooped low over Tulips house. The windows were open because Tulip was baking. The bubble flew in one window and out another neatly snagging a freshly baked bun as it went.
Matt felt happy. He was warm and he had a bun to eat. Matt waited to see what would happen next. The wind tired of lingering close to the ground climbed towards the stars. The air was colder up here. Matt pulled his dad’s vest about him and waited to see what would happen next. He grew tired and curling up in a ball he fell asleep.

The Day the Trees cried.

Daisy-Lyah woke Breeze by tickling his nose with some grass. Minutes later his nose still itched as he trudged along trying not to step on Lisbeth who was saying  “Hurry, Mr. Breeze. Can’t you run?”

Daisy-Lyah was flying ahead of them. The thought of running always gave Breeze a headache so he walked.

He was thinking this had better be good to have woken me from such a delicious nap  when they came to a stop. He stared at the trees before them.

“See the trees are crying please make them stop.” Daisy-Lyah’s bottom lip was wobbling while Lisbeth was jumping up and down on Breeze’s right foot.

Breeze had never seen a tree cry and he was afraid to admit it but Breeze found this fascinating. Why would a tree cry? He wondered, they have everything they need here. Nice rich soil, loads of sunshine and rain and I talk to them. 

They must be hurt” he whispered to the two girls.  They ran away shouting, “We will get bandages”.

Breeze ran his finger along the bark of the first tree. He felt a small hole in the bark. Who would do such a thing? A flurry of movement caught his eye and Breeze saw a bird clinging to the tree a little distance away. He appeared to be tapping the wood with his beak. “Doesn’t that hurt you?” Breeze asked. “Why are you doing it?”

The bird said “I have lost my house. I had a nice home in a hole in a trunk of a tree close to here but the tree fell in the storm last winter. Now I have no home so I am trying to make one. I am searching for soft wood to make a hole to live in.”

Breeze scratched  his head and thought about this strange problem. A home for a bird. The words rattled around  his head for a while. Suddenly he said, ” I know come with me.”

When Lisbeth and Daisy-lyah returned Breeze was putting ointment on the trees. “They are not crying they are hurt, so I am putting a cream on them and you can put on a bandage, please.”

When they were finished they stood back and admired their work.

The trees wore ribbons of different colours. “They do look smart. They will heal quickly.”  He told Lisbeth and Daisy-lyah  who promised to check the bandages.

“What made them cry?” Lisbeth asked.

Breeze told her and said, “I think the problem is solved come and see.” He brought them to Hamish’s house and pointed at a tree close to the house.

There sitting on a branch was a boot sitting on its side on a branch. “It is a smelly old boot.” Daisy-lyah whispered.

“But not any old smelly boot,” Breeze said, “it is the home of a tappin bird called Fred.”

On hearing his name the bird flew out of its new home and sat on a branch singing a happy song.

The trees did stop crying and they all loved their ribbons so much Lisbeth and Daisy-lyah had a new job to do each day.

 

 

Halloween: Sticky Toffee Surprise

 

Lovisma was planning a big surprise for Halloween night.

Last year Breeze spoiled her surprise, this year she was being very careful.

He won’t ruin my Halloween night.” She muttered watching her cauldron carefully. She sat on a fat mushroom watching her spoon do laps of the pot.  “Hmm vanilla toffee apples who can resist them?” She giggled. On hearing a twig snap she looked up, then relaxed as one of the Muppet Bunnies dashed past her.

“Nothing will spoil this surprise. That stupid Ogre is helping Elegant and the Fairies make bobbing marshmallows.” She said.

Breeze was standing a short distance away disguised as a giant pumpkin.  He got the idea from Bob (click here to see him as a pumpkin.)  Hamish had helped Breeze get ready.  Everyone knew Lovisma hates pumpkins.

While  the children were dressing up as witches and ghosts, Lovisma placed buckets of her special toffee apples around the party tables. Her apples sparkled and glowed. “What child or ogre could resist these?” she muttered.

Meanwhile Breeze was holding a meeting with the other adults. “I am not sure what will happen when you take a bite so I took one from her basket.” He stared around at the Fairies and Elves.

Tulip said, “Well we won’t know until you take a bite from it.”

Breeze  didn’t want everyone to think he was afraid. He closed his eyes and took a bite. It did taste lovely but the toffee ran off the apple like a river and lay around his feet. He could not move his feet. “I am stuck.” He groaned.

Elegant said, “I bet she plans on taking all of the children’s treats while they are stuck to the ground. I am sure it will wear off soon Breeze.”

Breeze hoped it would because he didn’t want to miss the party. The fairies and elves worked on a spell to undo Lovisma’s spell. Then they created a spell for her.

The party was great. The children loved the bobbing marshmallows that looked like giant spiders. They laughed when Matt tried to eat a real spider thinking it would taste of marshmallow. The spider was  not happy as he scuttled awayinto the dark night.

The children noticed the toffee apples. Lovisma held her breath and waited.

Matt grabbed an apple. It  fizzled and sparkled sending shooting stars into the night.

Lisbeth, Lillian and Daisy-Lyah’s apples played a musical tune  the minute they held them.  Children were dancing and laughing.  Lovisma was angry.

“Give me one!” She grabbed an apple and instantly the ground beneath her feet began to shake. Everyone ran for cover as two tall scarecrows appeared carrying pumpkins. They placed the pumpkins on the ground and rolled them at Lovisma.

She was knocked off her feet and landed on a huge pumkin. Her feet and arms, and head was visible. Lovisma screamed. She was trapped in a pumpkin. She waddled off into the wood crying, “I bet you did this Breeze.  I will get out and then you had better watch out.”

Lisbeth was sitting beside Breeze shivering. “You don’t look worried Mr. Breeze.”

He smiled and said, “I am not, because Elegant added her forgetful potion to the spell so Lovisma will escape from the pumpkin but she will have forgotten everything and we will have a great party.”

Daisy-lyah and Lillian were kind Fairies and they filled a basket full of treats for the naughty witch.

 

 

The Tale of the Curious Tree as told by Breeze.

Breeze was left in charge of  Mrs. Groundsels Grandchildren.  “Tell us a story, please.” Lisbeth demanded flashing her dark blue eyes at him.

Breeze sat and stared all around him. In the distance an old twisted tree caught his eye.

Lowering his voice he said, “A tiny oak tree was planted in the wood many years ago by a kind and friendly witch. ”

“It wasn’t Lovisma then.” Lisbeth said and moved closer to him.

Breeze smiled then said,

“The tree was planted in a good place. It began to grow. A rabbit stopped one day beside the tree to scratch his ear. The tree bent sideways to  ask the rabbit what it was doing. 

“I am itchy. So I am scratching the itch.” The rabbit said and then he hopped away.

The tree decided it was good to know answers to simple questions.

Whenever an animal stopped close to the oak it would move its body to look at the animal and ask a question or two. Over time the tree grew very knowledgeable about everyday things.

It knew why the clouds danced across the sky on sunny days and why they emptied buckets of raindrops on the forest on dark cold days. It also learnt the names of all the plants and animals in the forest. “

“Really?” Lisbeth asked.

Before Breeze could speak, Matt said, “That is rubbish there is no twisted oak tree in this wood and if there was it wouldn’t know anything about anything. Trees are just trees.”

Lisbeth looked sad. “Mr. Breeze, that is not true. Is it? Your story is beautiful. I think trees are great.”

“Thank you Lisbeth. Matt will discover the truth some day soon.” He hoisted her on his shoulder and said, “we are going to visit the tree.”

He walked a long way then stopped before the tree. Lisbeth ran her hand along the bark.  “You are a super-duper old tree. ” Breeze placed her on a low branch and jumped up beside her.

“Does it know everything?” She asked Breeze.

“Maybe not everything but it does know a lot of stuff.” He looked at her. “Why?”

“I would like to know what there is far beyond the Sugar lump mountains. Please Mr. Tree can you tell me?”

Breeze looked at her and said, “why don’t you write a note and pin it to the tree?”

She grinned at him. “Trees can’t write.”

“No but fairies can and I bet Tulip or Izzy could talk to it, or Elegant. I will ask them. They could write the answer down for you.”

So Lisbeth left her note pinned to the tree.

Next day she woke Breeze from a nap by shouting at him, “I got an answer.” Lisbeth read the note: “Beyond the Sugar Lump mountains lies a green valley. It is filled with cows grazing, sheep sleeping and lambs having fun. There is no river but there are many different types of flowers and trees. The air is filled with humming birds who sing as they collect pollen from the plants. ”

Lisbeth was smiling when she finished the note. “I am never going to tell Matt about this. It is great to know something he doesn’t. Someday when he walks miles and miles to find out what is over the mountains I can say, I knew all along because the kind oak tree told me.”

When she left Breeze slept, dreaming of dancing trees who became so knotted they fell over and grew on the ground.

 

 

Breeze lists his top five foods.

My five favorite foods.

1. This is easy everyone knows I love cakes and biscuits.

  

2.  I love green salads, I put a whole lettuce into a bowl and add in green pepper, parsley, chives, and eat it all in one go.

3.  Nuts. I am lucky living in a forest. Hazelnuts are my favorite.

4. Mrs. Groundsels home made soups.

5. Carrots. They help me see better at night.

 

My top five most hated foods.

1. Chocolate.  Yuck hate the stuff but oddly I love smelling it.

2. Cream – some people put it in their cakes. I think it ruins the flavor.

3. Sea-weed. My cousin Bertie brought some back from his holiday by the sea. He thought it was delicious. I  buried it in my garden.

4. Pumpkins.  I hate them so much I don’t use them at Halloween.

5. Mushrooms.  They taste slimy to me. Though Spike my pet frog likes to sit on them and sing.

Breeze’s Secret Job.

“I will never tell you another truthful story about me.” Breeze said.

Tulip frowned. She didn’t understand why and asked him to explain.

“Because since I told you about the tree all you do is ask me questions.” He folded his arms infront of his chest. “Stop doing it.”

Tulip smiled. “Okay but perhaps you will answer me this one last question. Why did you stop gardening?”

Breeze scowled at her.

Mrs Groundsel was walking past them. She was delivering a batch of blackberry jam to her friend Robyn and heard Tulips question. She stopped and said, “why would you think he has?”

“Because he is always asleep or sitting in a tree?” Tulip said.

“Not always only when you are around.” Mrs Groundsel walked away.

Breeze climbed his tree and Tulip was tired of asking questions so she went home.

Tulip didn’t forget Mrs. Groundsel’s answer. She decided to become a Fairy detective.  She began to get up earlier in the morning and go to bed late at night. But it didn’t matter, whenever she went looking for him Breeze was always asleep. Izzy asked Tulip, “do you need a sleeping potion? You look very tired and your wings are droopy looking.”

Tulip told her the reason why she was feeling so tired.

Izzy was quiet for a while as she  sipped her tea. Suddenly she said, “I know why you can’t find him working or moving about during the day because he is working at night.”

Tulip shook her head. “No Breeze is not a bat he is that jolly green ogre we keep tripping over on the porch when we have finished baking. He can smell vanilla icing a mile away.”

Izzy said, “tonight you and I will keep watch. I will go to his cave and watch from high above it. You can stay at the edge of the forest. You can follow him.”

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

 

The moon was bright, the sky a dark curtain behind it.

Izzy was sitting a short distance from the entrance to Breeze’s cave. She was knitting a jumper for a baby rabbit. Tulip was writing out new recipes at the edge of the wood as she waited for Izzy’s signal.

Suddenly Izzy heard Breeze stomping out of his cave.  Spike was sitting on his shoulder. They walked straight past Izzy without seeing her. She waited until they were a little distance away then she send a ribbon of light shooting into the sky.

Tulip spotted the signal. She sent her recipe book back to her kitchen and hid.

It didn’t take long for Breeze to appear on the path from the mountains. Tulip was surprised when he didn’t enter the wood but turned sharp left and walked towards the flat fields behind the trees.

She stayed well behind him. Tulip didn’t want him to see her.  He walked for a long time, through three giant fields.

Then suddenly he came to a small field. Breeze bent low. Spike jumped from his shoulder.

Tulip forgot to watch Breeze she was too busy trying to recognize all of the vegetables she saw growing in the field.

“He is a secret gardener. ” She sat in the hedge for a while and watched him work. He was very good. There were no weeds in his garden just healthy, carrots, potatoes, sweetcorn, peas and beans. Suddenly she had answers to a lot of her questions. It was Breeze who supplied everyone with the vegetables they loved when they couldn’t find them close to Mudpile Wood.

Tulip wanted to rush out and give him a hug. But, she knew she couldn’t. It was his secret to keep or reveal and not hers.

She decided to go home.

Next day at lunch time Tulip was asleep when there was a loud knock at her front door. It was Izzy, ” So you didn’t find out where he went or what he did?”

Tulip said “Yes, I mean no I didn’t.”

Izzy smiled “And I suppose you didn’t bake the giant gingerbread man Breeze is sharing with everyone in the middle of the clearing?”

Tulip looked very innocent and tired. “No, I can only bake small gingerbread men in my small oven.”

Izzy decided not to ask any more questions. “You look tired. I will bring you back some of the amazing gingerbread. Pity we don’t have the recipe, isn’t it?”

Tulip was too tired to worry about her friends twinkling eyes. She went back to bed.

 

The Tree – Breeze’s Link to his tree.

 

Tulip sat beside Breeze. Her legs were swinging back and forth as she sat on a wide smooth branch.

“What is it with you and trees?” She scrunched up her nose against the strong sunlight as she stared up at him.

“I like trees. That is it.” he said with a dreamy smile.

“But…why?” She asked him.

He considered his answer for a while. “I suppose all of my family liked trees. My grandfather grew his own apple trees, the orchard is over there.” Breeze waved his right arm in the direction of Treacle Wood, many miles away.

“My dad loved to weave baskets from willow and he adored willow trees because he could sit in the shade and work all day long.”

Tulip said, “so trees have been a thing in your family for years.”

“Yes.” Breeze said. “Have you any more questions before I take a nap.”

“Just one. Why this tree?” She looked about them, there were many other giant trees in the wood but Breeze always went to this one.

“Because I grew it.”

His answer surprised her. “You grew it?” She looked at him closely.  She could not imagine him planting anything. She tried to picture it.

“You can’t be that old.”

“For an ogre I am not. But I am still many years older than this tree.” He smiled then said,  “I remember the day I planted it. I was mad at Mrs. Groundsel. She called me a lazy young ogre who couldn’t be bothered to do anything.” Breeze yawned. “So I decided to show her I could do something. I planted the seed. I  came back every day to water and talk to it. Trees like company. It became like a …” He tapped his head with his fingers searching for a word.

“Hobby?” Tulip suggested.

“Pet.” Breeze said. “I grew fond of it and that was that.”

“That was that.” Tulip repeated. “Did you plant many more?”

Breeze nodded his head. “Loads, there was only five trees here when I started, now look.”

Tulip looked at the many hundreds of trees.

“You really are a s ..” she began.

“Strange ogre?” Breeze said.

“Surprising ogre. I think you deserve a blueberry muffin after all that work. I will bring it by later.” She flew away and left Breeze to have a nap.