The week before Christmas Mudpile wood was a busy place. Presents were being wrapped and cakes were baked.
Fairy Tulip met Hamish. He was wearing a white apron and a chef’s hat. He didn’t look happy.
“Where did Breeze go?” grumbled Hamish. “He promised to help me cook my pudding. I think he must be lost.”
Tulip said, “Hamish you are silly, we can’t lose a seven foot Ogre. It just can’t be done.”
“Well he has vanished.” Lovisma shouted wobbling by on her broomstick.
Lovisma was practicing a new trick. Riding her broomstick while standing on her head and spinning. So far, it wasn’t going well. She demolished the Gingerbread house, put a hole in the giant Christmas cake, Mrs. Groundsel had made. The cake looked like a very large doughnut with sprinkles on top.
“I hope he’s shopping.” Matt said. “Maybe he will buy me a pet crocodile.”
“No, he doesn’t like shopping, he gave me the list. I did his shopping months ago.” Tulip said.
They decided to search for him. Mrs Groundsel and Matt went to search the caves, the witches to search the mountain tops. Tulip and Hamish searched the wood then decided they would go and sit in his favourite tree. He was bound to show up soon. It was getting close to lunch time.
“Something awful must have happened because he missed second breakfast.” Hamish whispered.
“Hmm…” Tulip said looking into the sky. “Never mind Breeze. Snow is about to fall. Lets tell the others to get the sleds ready.”
Hamish said, “we broke them last year when we had that crazy race off the frozen waterfall. ” He sighed. “But it was good fun. We forgot about the sleds till now.”
Everyone came out of their houses to watch the snowflakes dance and twirl their way to the ground.
“But we have no sleds, ” Lisbeth said. Nobody was smiling, they loved sledding.
Matt raced back inside and returned with an old wooden tray. “This will have to do, come on everyone.”
They trudged to the top of the hill field and took turns at flying down the hill on the tray. “It’s not great but it’s better than nothing,” Matt said.
Suddenly they heard a rumble. It was growing louder.
“Thunder?” Mrs Groundsel wondered. She didn’t like thunder or lightning.
“No, but perhaps we should take shelter hurry.” Tulip ushered everyone into the wood.The ground was shaking making everybody hop or bounce about.
Then above the rumbling noise they could hear a familiar sound of Breeze laughing. With a swoosh of snow he raced past them on a giant sled.
They chased after him, “wait for us.”
He applied the brake and the giant sled shuddered to a stop.
” Where did you get it?” Tulip asked him.
“Borrowed the idea from the elves.” He told them. “It took a bit of work but all of the elves helped make it. Come on, get on. This is great. Hold on tight and let’s go.”
They rushed to sit on the sled. Breeze took off so fast Tulips hair escaped from its ponytail.
“Oooh watch out for the waterfall,” they cried as they zipped along scattering snow as they went.
Breeze smiled and kept going. The women closed their eyes, the children held their breath because they could see the end of the frozen waterfall. Suddenly they were flying high above the valley.
“We will die this time, ” Hamish grumbled thinking of his uncooked Christmas pudding.
There was a soft jolt and looking high above them they saw the reason. Laughter rang out as the giant fluffy parachute opened and brought them slowly to the ground.
Breeze looked at them and said, “I’m hungry I need a snack. Next ride will be after lunch.”
He was whistling as he made his way to Hamish’s house, because Hamish always made the best lunches in the wood.
Mudpile Wood 