A Surprising Catch.

 

Hamish and Breeze were fishing. The moon hovered over them high in the sky.  The river flow was slow.

“The river looks tired.” Breeze whispered.

“Lets hope the fish are hungry and tired.” Hamish stuck his fishing line in the water. The line ran from the water to a low branch of the oak tree. Near the top of the branch Hamish had fixed some tiny bells. “They will wake me when the fish has been caught.” He told Breeze who kept staring at the bells.

“I should have thought of some bells,” Breeze said and settled down for a nap.

They woke when a fox jumped onto Breeze’s chest.  Breeze sat up and shouted “we’ve caught one.”

Hamish looked at their fishing lines.They sat quietly they didn’t jig about in the water.  “I don’t think so, it was Harry the fox, blame him.”

Harry apologised to Breeze for waking him adding, “she scares me. And she is a little crazy as well.”

Breeze and Hamish watched the fox run across some stones along the river bed and vanish into the dark field behind them.

“I wonder who scares him. How shall we find out?” Hamish asked as he spotted a  stripey sock lying on the path close to them. They walked to the sock. Hamish sniffed it. “Lovisma, it smells of lavender and she likes lavender.”

“Lovisma loves her crazy coloured socks, why would she drop it here?” Breeze walked along the path and found another sock, this one had dots on it. They continued through the wood finding out bits of clothes here and there. A hat sat on a gooseberry bush, a  dress hung from a branch and a long scarf blew amongst the leaves in the willow tree. As they went they picked the items up and Breeze stuffed them in his pockets. He smiled because he had solved the puzzle.

“I know a crazy collie who likes to steal socks, but I won’t set Lovisma on her.”Breeze said. “I like crazy collies called Ellie.”

The sun was rising and the moon was heading to bed as they arrived at Lovisma’s house. Elegant and Lovisma were in the kitchen arguing. They could hear because the windows were open.

“I don’t understand who steals our clothes? I mean who would want to do it and why?”

“It is very bothersome. It means we have to keep zapping up new socks. It is  a little tiresome.” Lovisma told her older sister.

“What I don’t understand is how it always happens when it is your turn to do the laundry. It is strange.” Elegant said.

“Let’s be kind neighbour’s and return the washing.” Hamish suggested. “Afterall Elegant is a very kind witch.”

They emptied Breeze’s giant pockets and left the socks and hats in a heap on the porch.

“Go hide.” Hamish told Breeze.

Breeze ran into the wood, Hamish rang the doorbell, then hid.

Elegant answered the door saying, “Good morning….” She stopped and stared at the heap of washing. Then she did a little jig and dance on the front porch before pointing her wand at the clothes and ordering them to march indoors.

Breeze and Hamish heard Elegant say, “Good news Lovisma, you won’t be bored today, some kind neighbour has found our washing.Now lets make sure these socks  in pairs.”

The two friends decided doing nice things made them extra hungry so they forgot about their fishing lines and went to Hamish’s house to cook an extra large breakfast.

 

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Easter Bunnies.

The wood smelt of cinnamon. Breeze sniffed the air, like a dog would. “Hmm someone is baking, time to go visit.” He stood and stepped further out onto the branch of the tree, then smiled as it bent gracefully towards the ground. Then he stepped off and said “time to investigate such surprisingly delightfully promising smells.”

He placed one large foot on the soft forest floor and went to visit Tulip, the best baker he knew. However when he got to his friend Tulips house it was to discover she was not feeling happy.

“Did you steal my baking?” Tulip, the fairy, flew close to his face.

He shook his head and said, “It is gone? Ahh no who would do such a nasty thing?”

Tulip bit her bottom lip and considered who the thief might be. They decided to set a trap. Breeze helped by taking hold of two of the biggest hot cross buns and blew on them to cool them before eating them.

“Really? Tulip said. That is your idea of helping? Making them disappear?”

“But this time you know when and where they are disappearing. Last time it was some slinky thief who stole them.”

His fingers itched as Tulip placed the other ten cakes on her windowsill to cool.

“Now we hide. “She told him.

“Perhaps I should just sample one more to make sure they really are..” he was drooling as he spoke. “No, hide now.” Tulip stamped her feet and he knew it was a sign that a fairy with a lot of magic was getting madder by the second. And he did not want to make her angry.

Breeze climbed into a tree close to her house and waited. He didn’t see what was happening at first. He simply heard a “swish” “swash” sound and when he peered at the house there was now nine cakes left.

“Bother” Tulip said from her hiding place close to him. “did you see who that was?”

Breeze shook his head.

“Hmm, a little magic is needed.” With that she flew back to her window and threw what Breeze thought was icing sugar on the cakes.

When she arrived back beside Breeze, she put her finger to her lips. He nodded and settled down for a snooze, after all if magic was being used then he had time for a nap.

He woke to see a dancing hopping bright blue light. It made his head ache, the light was too bright. “Turn it off, please ” he asked Tulip.

“In a minute, come with me.”

Breeze looked at her and wondered if now was a good time to point out that she always insisted he said, “please and thank you,” but she often forgot to say it. He decided to be quiet.

They discovered in the middle of the hopping blue light a very angry dancing bunny.

“He looks strange.” Breeze said.

“Herbert is very strange”

But he is the, Easter bunny isn’t he?” Breeze tilted his head sideways to examine the huge basket of easter eggs beside Herbert. “You can’t harm him then.”

“Tulip maybe it would be best to let him go.” Breeze spoke softly.

Tulip thought about this and decided Breeze was right. But only after she made Herbert eat two dozen hot cross buns. When he left he kept saying, “I will never want to see one of them ever again.”

It took Breeze two days and a whole tin of gingerbread men before he forgave her for not letting him eat hot cross buns with the Easter Bunny.

 

Spring and the problems it brings

On the first day of Spring, every being, except for Breeze, spend their time cleaning. His plan was to sit and watch Spring work its magic on the wood.

Lilian walked beneath the tree he sat in and shouted to him, “Mr. Breeze how come you get to sit around all day while I work?”

“I dunno ask your mum.” He said, hoping she would go away.

“I did – she said, either you love dirt or you are just plain lazy.”

“I am not lazy” Breeze said.

“That is what I said, you love dirt.” Lilian said goodbye and went home.

Breeze smiled, “I do love dirt,” he told a passing bird.

However he lost his smile when he returned home. His cave sparkled. He screamed and ran back into the wood. Banging his fist on Hamish’s door he tumbled inside the moment the door opened, yelling, “It is horrible, just horrible you got to help me. I can’t live in a sparkling house. Do I look like a princess,no, I don’t. “

Hamish said, “Good.”

Breeze stopped and stared at Hamish. “What do you mean good?”

“Great,no more dust flying around you, clogging up the air when you walk, I can go visit you, have tea without my allergies kicking off..”

“Then others would want to come visit – I would have to be nice and not eat all the cakes.” Breeze considered the problem. He smiled then said, “ I’d best go and find some dirt for my home.”

Breeze spent the evening spreading dirt about his home. Next morning he went out side for ten minutes to stretch and admire the morning sunshine. Walking back inside he groaned, “How is this possible?” His home was gleaming, sparkling, super clean. “Ahghhhhhhhhh”

He ran to Elegant witches house where he found his favorite baker, Tulip, having breakfast with Elegant. “Did you do it?” he demanded.

“Do what?” Elegant and Tulip asked.

“Put a magic clean spell on my house?”

“No we didn’t but I am sorry I didn’t think of it. And we can’t blame Lovisma she is on spring holiday.””

Breeze marched away, he needed to think about this problem. As he marched through the wood he spotted a pair of purple boots dangling from a branch in a tree ahead of him. “Hello, now that is a funny place to put a pair of purple boots.” He tweaked the boots.

“Hey let go of my boots.” Penelope demanded.

“Sorry I didn’t realise there was a Penelope attached to them.” Breeze chuckled. “What are you doing up there?”

“I was watching for something to happen.”

“Did it?” Breeze looked about him.

“I dunno I slept late today, all of the super cleaning yesterday made me tired.” Penelope jumped to the ground.

Breeze blinked, her dress was brighter than the sun and her gleaming skin made it hard to look at her. “You look colourful.”

“Thanks. Are you going home now?” She smiled at him and waited for his answer.

“Yes. Bye” Breeze was in a hurry to get home for he hadn’t eaten breakfast. His stomach rumbled with each step he took. As he walked he scooped up lumps of earth from the ground and stuffed them in his pockets. When he reached his home he closed his eyes and walking inside he began to drop bits of dirt against the walls, on the floors, furniture and on him. Then he opened his eyes in time to see each bit of dirt roll back outside.

He sniffed the rolling dirt and whispered, “this stinks of Elf magic.”

While he ate his three bowls of cereal he considered the likelihood of meeting Penelope who was watching for something in a tree on a day when an elf spell had been placed on his home.

“Penelope did it.” Now he knew who cleaned his house, it was time for him to persuade her to let him continue as normal. Trouble was Elves are tricky beings to deal with, for they are clever. But Breeze knew they were kind and Hamish’s words gave him an idea.

So he set to work. The next time he met Penelope she got a fright. “Oh my, what happened to you?”

Breeze looked ill, his normally green skin was an unhealthy orange colour and sprinkled with bright blue spots. He sat down and whispered, “I don’t feel well, my house…”

“What about your house?”

Breeze said, “I am allergic to cleanliness. I need dirt to make me feel well, happy and …alive.”

At his words Penelope began to panic, “Oh dear, oh dear. Let me come home with you and see what I can do to help.”

“That would be most kind of you but there is some evil spell working on my house, every time I get it right – poof – it is clean again.”

Penelope looked horrified. “I will do my best, I won’t promise much but I will do my best.”

And she did, of course, though Hamish did scold Breeze for tricking the kindly Elf. “Well she shouldn’t muddle in other people’s lives, we are all different you know.”

Hamish simply shrugged his shoulders.

If wishes were fishes

Breeze, the ogre, loved to eat. When he wasn’t eating he was sitting on a sturdy branch dreaming of eating. The trouble was if he saw food, he ate it.

One day he was passing the witch’s house when he saw a cake sitting on their porch. Breeze, wondered why anyone would do this.”A pretty looking cake deserves to be eaten.” He said aloud.

No one shouted, “no it doesn’t, leave it alone, that is mine.”

So in his mind, finders were keepers or in this case – eaters. Breeze ate the cake in one neat mouthful and went off to find a sunny spot to have a snooze.

“You ate my cake. In fact, you are always eating things without asking. It is time I taught you a lesson.” Lovisma flew over him and sprinkled some horrid pink dust on his head before heading home.

Breeze noticed two odd things when he woke up. Number one was; he wasn’t in a tree. He was swimming in a salty pond. The second one was he was eating and his nose seemed to be protruding from his face much more than it normally did. “How odd,” he said between munches.  He looked down at his body and it too had changed. But it wasn’t for the better.

Because he was now a … seahorse.

 (Drawing courtesy of Template.net)

“I am very hungry and why can’t I stop eating? ”

Hours later he was exhausted from eating non stop, but still hungry.  He closed his eyes and thought about all that had happened since he ate the cake. It must have been Lovisma’s cake Breeze reasoned. Elegant witch would never turn me into a non stop eating seahorse but Lovisma would, perhaps I should ask her forgiveness.

The second he thought it, the tiny witch appeared before him. She smiled. “Do you give in?”

“What?” he asked between mouthfuls.

“Are you ready to apologise for eating my delectable cake?” She was standing with her arms folded.

Considering she didn’t look like she might explode with anger, Breeze nodded.

“I am really really sorry and will do anything to make up for it but just turn me back to the way I should be, chubby and green.”

Lovisma smiled. It wasn’t pleasant. Breeze held his breath he knew something nasty was about to happen.

“Okay so every Saturday for the next month you will bake cupcakes for me and you will wash up all of the baking equipment at….Tulips house, when she bakes.”

Breeze didn’t really listen, all he heard was cupcakes and Tulip bakes. He loved Cupcakes and there was no better baker than Tulip. “I agree”

She said, “If wishes were fishes and Ogres could bake cakes before dinner time let’s have Breeze back before the end of this rhyme.”

Breeze shivered and with a loud “pop” he leapt from the water onto the grass. Looking down at the ground he was delighted to see his nice chunky green toes.

Lovisma reminded him of where he was to be on Saturday morning and left him with a large smile on her face. Breeze was a little confused and decided the best thing to do was to go see Tulip and offer to do the washing up for her. “What a horrendous thought,” he shuddered and wondered what put such a task into his head.

 

Breeze has a nasty moment.

It was Halloween. Breeze, the ogre, was not happy. He had put a basket of cupcakes,  baked by a very kind fairy named Tulip, at the bottom of the tree trunk. Then he climbed the tree to see who was doing what and well…he fell asleep.

When he woke there was not one cupcake remaining. Lilian, his niece, was running by and she said, “I didn’t eat them, Bob did.”

Breeze muttered, “I bet he did. But he won’t do it again.”

Lilian who liked Bob ran back to Breeze, “please Mr. Breeze don’t hurt Bob. He is a very cuddly dog.”

Breeze frowned. He knew something had to be done or the dog would eat every cupcake he found in the wood.

Breeze went in search of Lovisma which was not normal because this mischievous witch was not his favorite witch. But on this occasion Breeze needed her help.

Much later, he left Lovisma’s house with a smile on his face. “That stupid fat dog won’t be able to find any cupcakes for a while.”

He glanced at the picture Lovisma had given him of poor Bob, and smiled. “That will teach you for eating all of my pumpkin cupcakes.”

Though Bob didn’t look happy, Breeze did wonder what Sara was smiling about,

A Rabbit named Flippity

Breeze was asleep until the wood was filled with a bouncing sound. “Booinnnggggg” On and on it went, echoing off the trees, sky and ground until the tree shook and Breeze was shaken from his branch.

Now this is not good, he muttered and went to investigate.

It didn’t take long for him to find the cause of the noise.

It was really two causes, Lovisma and her favorite furry friend: Flippity Rabbit.

He stood on the ground and watched them play. Other animals had gathered round and they were not smiling.

For the two had created a trampoline made from spiders webs and were bouncing on it so much they had shaken the clothes from washing lines, petals from wildflowers, babies from their beds and more importantly children were finding it hard to eat their dinners as the dishes kept bouncing about the wood.

Breeze wanted to tear the net down and stop them from doing more damage except for one slight thing. He wanted to try to bounce and tumble on it.

Trouble was the net didn’t look strong enough to take his weight.

He opened his mouth and roared; “Stop!”

They didn’t because they couldn’t so Breeze did the next best thing: “Elegant. Help.”

She arrived in a blink of an eye. Took one look at her younger sister and said, “I knew Lovisma would be in trouble again, she can’t stay away from mischief for long. ” She raised her wand and looked a little surprised when Breeze pleaded with her not to make it vanish.

“Why not?” She asked.

“Well I kind of like the idea of bouncing but it doesn’t look safe enough for me. And it is in the way of everybody here in the wood. Could you move it some where safer? Please?” He scuffled the grass at his feet as he waited for her answer.

“Very well, come on. We should do this sooner rather than later, I have dinner to make.”

Breeze wanted to ask, why she never simply zapped dinner instead of cooking it but he was a little afraid of witches. Even good witches have tempers. So he followed her to the edge of the wood where the river raced to the waterfall. They walked for a long distance before she stopped and turned to  him. “This will do nicely. The pool is close to the wood, the water doesn’t race along here and if the web breaks the water will break your fall. ”

She flicked her wand. The air sizzled and sparked for a moment. Then with a loud pop it appeared. A huge net high in the air, dangling above the water with Lovisma and Flippity still bouncing on it.

Breeze didn’t wait to be asked he climbed the nearest tree and took a dive onto the net.

However, he forgot about the others. With a squeal of delight Lovisma and Flippity shot high in the air and then with a loud splash they bounced straight off the net and into the water.

Much to everyone’s surprise the tiny witch loved it.

“Do it again Breeze do it again. ” Poor Breeze spent the rest of the evening bouncing on the net and sending those who wished to try it, shooting like rockets into the water.

“next time I get a good idea, I really should keep it to myself.” He muttered when he made his way home to bed very late that night.

 

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!”

 

 

Lilian’s friend.

Breeze’s view of the sky and fields

Breeze was minding Lilian. Tulip promised him one dozen lemon blackberry pies if he would mind her for a while. The thought of eating the pies made his lips water and his eyes grew large as he imagined how big they might be.  His stomach gurgled.

Lilian giggled. Breeze looked at her and said, “Would you like to go to the pond to watch the new ducklings taking a swiming lesson?”

Lilian loved the idea of watching the ducks swim. “Last time, I watched one little duck who seemed to be stuck. He kept going around in circles so I jumped in and helped him. His mummy didn’t like it because she gave out to me, a lot.”

Breeze smiled. “Don’t worry if it happens again I will jump up and save you, the ducks are afraid of me.”

They began the trek to the far side of the wood. Breeze hoisted Lilian onto his shoulders and she told him all the animals she could see. Suddenly she giggled, “There she is again.”

“Who? I don’t see anyone.” Breeze frowned because lately he had the feeling he was being followed. But no matter how fast he spun about , he couldn’t catch sight of them. He whispered, “Who are they? Are they following us?”  He couldn’t hear anything.

“You are funny Mr. Breeze, your ears are twitching like a rabbits. No she isn’t really following us as she is doing her job. ”

Breeze reached up and carefully took Lilian from his shoulder and placed her on the ground in front of him.  Bending low he asked, “Who is she? And what is her job?”

Lilian spun about on her toes, “It’s April, the angel who minds the trees and makes sure they never feel sad.”

Breeze sat on the ground.  “I never thought of trees feeling sad, why would they?” He mumbled.

“I don’t know, April says it is to do with losing their leaves and the biting northerly wind and nasty hairstones.”

Breeze nodded, “Okay. But it is hail stones not hairstones.”

“Oohh. ” Lilian reached her hand out to a passing butterfly who  landed on her hand. “You look tired,” she told the butterfly.

Breeze thought the butterfly looked upset at being told he looked tired but decided to say nothing. The butterfly flew away and Lilian darted after h im towards the duck pond. Breeze followed thinking, I never knew about a tree fairy, I wonder what she looks like? I will find out soon.

Part two to follow.

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.

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.