The day when the forest played a trick on a tiny witch.

Every seven years a crazy day arrives in the wood. It is called Mayhem day. And as you would expect anything is possible on this day.

Breeze and the other Ogres keep records. This means, they know when to expect the madness to happen. Then they let everyone else know. This year it was delivered by the blackbirds. “Stay indoors, take care for today will be a crazy day.” They tweeted and sang.

Elegant witch received the message and told her sister. Lovisma laughed and said, “Last time the only thing that happened was we were stuck indoors and I had no fun.”

“But you were safe.” Elegant replied.

“Safe is boring.” Lovisma decided then and there, she would have some fun.

Though her notebook was full of fun ideas, for example:

1. Paint the clouds with colourful spots.
2.  Put crabs in the pond.
3.  Replace the Ogres sugar with salt.
4.  Make Mrs. Rabbits washing dance on the washing line so she cannot collect it.
5.  Put glue on the elves shoes. When they finish work they will have to go home in their bare feet.

And the ideas went on filling the entire notebook. The problem was, she had tried them all.

“I need to think of a different way of making fun.”  She began by finding things to use. She found pots of paint and stacked them in Elegant’s gardening wheelbarrow, then she found some cobweb rope, a mound of mermaids slimy scales left by a visiting witch, and she chucked them into the barrow.

Just when she thought the barrow should be full to the brim she turned to look at it and frowned. Her collection was on the ground and her barrow was full of …

dog. “I didn’t put you in it, shoooo…go away.”

The dog sat and stared at her.  It blinked, blinked again and then…. vanished!

“Cute” Lovisma said and felt sad. She would have loved to be the first witch with a magical dog. When she told Elegant, her sister said, “I told you stay indoors – today is a crazy day. That dog wasn’t magical ..it wasn’t really here at all.”

Lovisma ignored her. She had decided on a plan. She crept to the center of the wood and began to chant,

“I wish for these dreams to come true,

let the sky and grass swop color so I am standing on blue.” She clicked her fingers and began to laugh. The grass was bright blue. She looked to the sky. It was bright green.

Then she heard it … a low throaty growl. Lovisma immediately thought of the crazy dog.  “Come out magical pup so I may thank you.”

Instead the sky darkened and clouds ran away as the green turned to purple.

“I preferred my colors” she calmly muttered.

The growling was louder and it was coming from the ground. Lovisma looked about her and noticed mushrooms. Hundreds and hundreds of mushrooms of all sizes.  She flicked her wand at them and said, “You look a little sad, I think spots of many colours would make you feel less bad.” With a click of her fingers a paintbrush appeared in her hand. She began to flick paint about her. Spots of paint landed on the mushrooms and they grew and grew. As they grew, the growling became louder.

Lovisma decided she didn’t want to stay in such a noisy spot and she tried to move, but the mushrooms had her caged in.  They stretched and grew until they blocked out the sky. She stood shivering wondering how she could make them stop. Every spell she tried made them grow faster. Finally she prodded one with her wand. There was a loud hissing sound and it shrank faster than it had grown. It didn’t stop until it was a puddle of gunk at her feet.

Then one by one the same thing happened the other mushrooms, the air was angry, filled with hissing sounds. The smell of rotting mushrooms was horrible. Lovisma screwed up her tiny nose and wailed. “I didn’t as for this to happen.” Her crying stopped only when she realised the pool of gunk was rising higher by the second.

Her next shriek was loud. “Help.”

Elegant heard her and appeared on her broomstick high above her troublesome sister.

“Serves you right, what did I tell you to do?” Then the kind hearted witch relented. With a flick of her wand she sent the gunk where it belonged  in the middle of nowhere.  Next she swooped low and hovered close to Lovisma.

“Would you like a lift home? I made chocolate fudge cake and vanilla ice cream?”

Lovisma didn’t need to think about it. She hopped on Elegants broom, promising she would never step outside of the house on Mayhem day, ever again.

Do you think she kept her promise?

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Breeze discovers a scary thing – And makes two new friends.

At almost seven foot tall, Breeze is not afraid or so he believed until the morning he almost trod on the scariest looking object he has ever seen.

He was walking slowly. The reason for this was simple. He could hear an unusual sound. It wasn’t the usual morning sound of bee’s buzzing or Mrs. Groundsel shouting at her grand children to hurry up and get out of bed. No this was a tiny sound that echoed inside his head.  The voice was high pitched and all he could hear was “No, Lizzie I said no.”

Who is Lizzie? He wondered. And looked down – then he saw a small tea pot. He questioned if this was Lizzie. A tea pot was for making tea.

Hisilicon K3

The mention of tea reminded him why he was walking towards the witches house. They had invited him to come visit them and enjoy breakfast.  As Elegant witch was a very brilliant cook, Breeze was looking forward to his breakfast. He picked up his pace and as he did so he heard the same tin high pitched voice say, “We should have taken a left at the fork in the river not a right.” Breeze decided to leave them lost, whoever them was. He trundled on a little faster and soon smelt, pancakes, raspberry jam and berry compote much to his delight.

When he arrived it was to discover there was an argument taking place between the two witches. “Did you send the invitations to them Lovisma?” Elegant stood with a wooden spoon twitching on the table before her. Breeze noticed the spoon was keeping pace with her right foot which was tapping the ground.

“I did. It is not my fault if our stupid relations don’t want to come and visit us. They probably think you clean too much and don’t want to be bossed about.” Lovisma said.

Elegant was now looking angry and Breeze considered sneaking away however Lovisma spotted him. “Hello Mr. Breeze, would you like some of Elegants amazing pancakes?”

In answer Breeze sat down and held out a plate. When he had eaten six pancakes and drank three mugs of apple juice he said, “What relations are you missing?”

“We are not missing them, they were invited, I think” Elegant paused to look at her sister. “To come and visit with us.”

“And they didn’t bother so there is more for Breeze and me.” As Lovisma spoke there was a soft pink hiss of smoke and there before them appeared – Lizzie the teapot.

Breeze smiled. “It’s okay if they are teapots. I like tea.” He said.

Lovisma held onto her hat and laughed so much she rolled off her seat. “They are not teapots, it is their house.” Bending low she shouted “Come out and hurry up we have almost eaten all of your breakfast.”

There were two loud pops followed by rainbow coloured smoke and two large smiling witches appeared before him.

Breeze decided they were too big for a tea pot and decided not to ask any questions but to eat as many pancakes as he could before they ate them.

Odd Socks

Breeze asked everyone in Mudpile Wood to help solve a mystery.  Socks had gone missing, leaving most with only one sock of every color. Everyone agreed it was time to find the odd socks.

They searched everywhere, from the tip of the mountain to the bottom of the wood. Matt and Daisy-lyah searched in every rabbit hole. Tulip searched high into the sky in case the socks were carried up into the clouds by the wind. And they did not find one single sock.

Breeze remembered Bob, the dog had a friend called Ellie who loved finding things.  He wrote her a short note:

Dear Ellie,

Please help us find the odd socks from Mrs. Groundsels basket, if we don’t find them I am afraid we won’t get any delicious vegetable pies any more. I will ask Tulip to bake you some munchy dog biscuits.

I will leave the red basket on the smooth stones near your friend the dragon – at the pond.

Your best ogre friend

Breeze.

“What do we do now?” Hamish asked Breeze when they left the large washing basket at the smooth stones.

“We take a nap and let Ellie do her stuff.” Breeze said as he climbed the nearest tree. He tried to sleep but kept wondering about the missing socks. His dreams were filled with strange images: sheep eating socks, crows wearing socks after they pecked holes in the feet of the socks and the worst of all giant socks chasing Breeze.

Loud barking alerted them next morning and they went to find out what was wrong. Hamish stood looking at the red basket, “Well. I never.” He said over and over again.

“Superb. Great, Amazing. Happy days are here again, vegetable pie this evening for tea.” Breeze said.

“Woof.” said Ellie as she waited for them to bring her to Tulips house to collect her munchy, crunchy dog biscuits flavored with honey.

Do you doubt that she did it? Take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think?

 

 And where did she find them?

Everywhere!

 

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.

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.

Bob’s Troops arrive.

When Breeze woke the next morning he was a little surprised to discover Eunice the carrier pigeon sitting on the end of his bed. She had a note tied to her leg.

 

He opened it and frowned. “A dog walked on paper.” Breeze muttered staring at the paw prints.

“Does this mean yes or no?” Breeze wished Tulip were here then she could read it for him.

He decided to have breakfast first.

He was enjoying his berry breakfast with muesili when he heard a lot of barking outside his door. He went to look. The wood was full of dogs, racing about with their noses on the ground and their tails in the air. He smiled and said, “They came.” He thought it was safer to stay out of the way.

As he watched from high in the mountain he discovered it wasn’t many dogs. It was one dog.  A black and white collie with a curly tail. “Ellie came.” Breeze said to Spike who sat in the sunshine beside him.

Ellie stopped running and stood on a fallen tree peering about her. Suddenly with a bark and a wag of her tail she raced away.

Breeze felt sad. “Ellie couldn’t find her.” He said and wondered what to do next.

He decided to have second breakfast and perhaps an idea might land during it.

He was on his third bowl of cereal when he heard a familiar shout and a lot of barking.

“Tulip” He shouted and raced outside.

 

Tulip didn’t look happy.

“Why did that crazy collie drag me here? Are you sick?” Tulip asked.

Breeze looked at her. He decided she looked very angry. He nodded his head. “I was worried, we couldn’t find you, no one knew what happened.”

“Izzy was sick. I went to help her.” She stared at him.” Now I am back and I suppose you and that pair are waiting on Fairy cakes to be baked.”

Breeze began to feel happier. “Yes please.”

Tulip flew away saying, “I think I should bake Ellie an extra big batch and perhaps then I will allow you one or two.”

Breeze was feeling a little grumpy as he walked down the stony path. He stopped when he saw the two dogs sitting looking at  him.

“What?” he said. “What do you want?”

“We would like to share our cakes.” Bob said. They got up and raced away.

“But this time you have to come and find us!” Ellie shouted back to him.

Breeze decided it would be nicer to sit in a tree. He knew Tulip was his friend and though he might have to wait a day or two for the cakes. Fairy cakes always, always found their way to him.

 

 

 

 

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.