Listen to the Trees and Other Curious Tales

No School Tomorrow

The headmistress of St. James, the local primary school, made a special announcement in assembly. “There will be no school tomorrow as all teachers will be attending training. Please collect the letter for your parents before going home later today.”

This was met with a lot of smiles and some jumping up and down from the young pupils.

The three children, Henrietta, Lucy and Joseph, all pupils at the school, had big smiles on their young faces and the day off couldn’t come soon enough for them.

“Yes, yes, yes,” exclaimed Henrietta to her younger sister standing alongside of her in the school hall. “We’re out into the fields tomorrow.”

Lucy smiled back at her big sister.

While it could be said that all the children at school were overjoyed at this surprise holiday, the same could not be said of the many parents who would have to arrange a day off work at short notice.

The three children were especially happy because they lived right on the edge of town, although this was often better thought of as the edge of the countryside. They were sure that they could take advantage of this unexpected opportunity to spend an extra whole day out in the fields behind their homes and enjoy the warm sunshine, still shining nicely at this time of the year.

The farmers’ fields started just past the houses of this last estate and were a haunt for the children who lived there or nearby. These three were friends and often spent time together in the fields.

Henrietta, who was ten years old, was a very bossy ‘tomboy’ sort of girl while her sister Lucy, two years younger, was quiet and calm. They always stood alongside of each other in assembly although they shouldn’t really; the school understood and were relaxed about such things.

Their friend was Joseph, who was also ten years old, lived next door to the girls and attended the same school. Henrietta and Joseph were in the same class at their school while Lucy was two years behind them in another class.

There were no other children living nearby and that’s really why they had become friends, even before starting school. As friendships went it was a bit up and down, like all childhood friendships, but they had stuck together because they found it better overall.

Henrietta liked being a bit of a tomboy but disliked her name and insisted she was called ‘Enry’ much to the dislike of her mother. She insisted on using her full name all of the time much to Henrietta’s consternation although she had only ever answered back to her mum once about it, but never again. Everyone else outside of her home had to call her Enry, but not if her mum was within earshot.

Lucy did not have a nickname because she liked her real name.

Joseph was a nice boy, always respectful, this making up for his slight lack of co-ordination and a little clumsiness; he found learning a bit of a difficulty. Joseph often used the shortened version of his name, ‘Joe’ while his mother used both versions depending upon the time of day. ‘Joseph’ in the morning to get him out of bed and ready for school, as she rushed around sorting out his breakfast and lunch box. She also used the full version if he had done something he shouldn’t have done. ‘Joe’ was for the afternoons, evenings, weekends or if away on the rare holiday. It was a very long time since Joe had been on a holiday; it must have been a couple of years ago at least, Joe couldn’t really remember.

When he returned from school his mum was always more relaxed and called him the shortened ‘Joe’; he preferred that.

The morning of the day-off-school had arrived.

Enry’s dad had gone to work, no Friday off for him, and her mother was busy, as she was every Friday, baking cakes and buns.

Joe lived with his mother but did not have a father. This bothered him and he would occasionally start to cry quietly when he was on his own because he didn’t have one. This was the reason also that holidays did not come round very often; times could be hard for Joe.

Joe’s mum did not work full time. She often struggled to ‘make ends meet’ even with the small part-time job she had in the afternoons during a couple of days in the week; thankfully not on a Friday.

Joe and Enry’s mums were friends, living next to each other, but not really good friends; life for each of them was so different to the other. Enry’s mum had tried to help Joe’s mum in the past but she was a proud lady and declined, very politely, the help that was being offered.

They all lived on the edge of open meadows, where cows were often to be found grazing. The gates at the end of their long back gardens opened onto the narrow path dividing the gardens and meadow with its flowering hedgerow. The small front gardens with small hedges bordered a plain, boring road that ran through the estate.

The children had often played on their own during weekends and holidays in the meadow or over the far side of it at the edge of the woods. Today being a warm, lovely, sunny day, they decided that they would go adventuring in the meadows, possibly even to the woods, but as the mum’s always insisted, the children had to ask for approval first.

Both mums normally had no problem with the children playing on their own in the meadows, this was a quiet part of the world, and was considered very safe, why would it not be. But both mums really did insist upon being asked first.

Today, the three children wanted to go a little further into the edge of the woods where a small stream wandered its way through; a lot of fun could be had at the stream.

Both mums had a quick word over the rear garden fence.

“What do you think Mrs. T?” asked Enry’s and Lucy’s mum. “Can we let them go out into the field on their own?”

“Eeh luv, I reckon so,” came back the reply. “They are fine on their own at weekend, so why not today eh, Friday?”

“I’m sure that your right, Mrs. T. I will warn my two young people of the possible dangers, as I always do, and I expect that you will do the same with your young man.”

“Aye, OK then love.”

“Joe, come ere luv,” Joe’s mum called to him as she returned into the kitchen.

“Now then lad,” she started as Joe stood and listened in his normal polite attentive manner.

“I don’t really want you going into the woods over on the far side of the field, but, well not too far,” she changed her mind half way through speaking, “and don’t do everything that snotty Henrietta tells you. She can be trouble, that one, as you know only too well.”

“OK mum.”

“And if you do go paddling in that stream, make sure your socks and shoes come off first. Do you understand?”

“OK mum.”

“And you have to be home by 4 o’clock, or thereabouts. Make sure you have that nice blue wristwatch you got for last Christmas on your wrist before you leave this house, OK?”

“OK mum.”

“Please don’t rip your trousers, son. They cost me a lot and you must make them last.”

“OK mum.”

Out into the Meadow

Joe had listened patiently and answered politely, he was that kind of boy. He had heard his mum say these things many time before, in fact every weekend. He had never been told off, or worse, by his mum; he was a quiet and most of all a respectful boy. Most importantly of all he understood, in a sort of way, how difficult it was for his mum without a dad at home.

Enry and her sister Lucy had received similar words of advice from their mum. Enry was outside in the little garden at the rear of her house waiting impatiently with her arms folded.

“Come along Lucy, I’m waiting for you,” she spoke in a loud voice while reaching back to tighten the ribbon holding her hair in a neat sort of pigtail. She did not like to let her hair fall onto her shoulders in any sort of girlish manner.

“Come along now, I am waiting,” she insisted spinning round on her brown open sandals to look away from the house and swirling her blue gingham school dress as she did so.

Enry’s mum smiled to herself at the assertiveness she was showing. She wanted her daughter to grow up to be like herself and it looked like she was making a good start.

“I’m coming,” Lucy replied gently as she picked up the three special chocolate biscuits in their paper bag that mum was providing.

“Hmm,” thought mum, “I will have to help my dear Lucy along sooner than later I believe, she is far too quiet and polite for my liking.”

Lucy flounced out of the kitchen door in the old purple cotton dress that she would often wear when not at school. It was Enry’s old dress handed down but Lucy didn’t mind, she really liked it. She also wore the same kind of white ankle socks and sandals as her big sister which made her feel nice. She let her hair fall down naturally as it was bobbed short.

“Now let me see Joe,” Mrs. T. spoke as she adjusted his light blue shirt collar over his sleeveless fair-isle cardigan.

“I’ve told you this many times before my lad, but I think I should tell you just once more.” She always told him just once more, but he didn’t mind.

“You have some nice clothes on, especially your school shoes, your only pair of shoes. You must always take care of them, I can’t afford any more for a long time yet. You do understand me, don’t you?”

“Yes Mum,” he quietly replied, because he did.

Joe was in his short grey school trousers, he wore them or another pair just the same, for everything. A light blue short sleeve shirt with the collar opened over a grey cardigan was Joe’s normal wear when not at school. His knee-length grey socks and shiny black, lace-up, brogue shoes were a part of his school uniform.

The shoes were his only pair and he knew only too well that he had to take great care of them; they would not be going into any water.

Joe brushed back what hair he had left after his short back and sides. Joe’s hairstyle was a very old style of one but he didn’t know anything about this, he just had it cut by mum every so often and that was alright.

“Put this into your satchel lad,” Joe’s mum said as he was trying, but not too well, to get it onto his back. Getting his left arm through the strap was often a problem for Joe and today was no exception. She was kindly providing the three of them with an old lemonade bottle filled with cool tap water and with three blackcurrant jam sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper. Joe stopped trying to put his satchel on and opened it instead to put them all inside. With the straps fastened again by mum, she helped him get it on both his shoulders.

It would be Joe’s job to carry all this all day long but he didn’t mind, it gave him a nice feeling of importance. Joe’s mum did not have a lot of money but did the best she could for her Joe.

“Off you go my lad,” Joe’s mum said to him as she patted him on the head. “Enjoy the sunshine my son, have a nice time and look after yourself.”

“There YOU are, now come along,” Enry shouted out at Joe as he appeared from his kitchen door on the other side of the low fence between them.

Enry and her sister went through their garden gate into the lane that separated the gardens and the meadow.

“Joe, come on,” demanded Enry, “You are keeping me waiting all day.”

Joe just smiled as he joined them because this was the way that Enry often spoke, especially when she thought she was in charge.

“Lucy, put the special biscuits into Joe’s satchel; Joe stand still while she does.”

Lucy managed to slip the paper bag with the biscuits in, under the flap and into his leather satchel.

Skipping along the path between the garden fences and the hedgerow, they soon reached the end of it. Here they could enter into the meadow through a gap in the hedgerow. This year the meadow had been left fallow and it was in full bloom with loads and loads of wild flowers; red poppies, blue cornflowers, large daisies, lots of big yellow ones and many others of all sizes and colours.

Enry stopped suddenly and Lucy and Joe almost collided together into her back.

“I am checking,” she spoke with her usual air of authority.

Her hand came up to shield her eyes from the sun as her head turned left and right scanning the horizon.

Joe thought that she might as well be looking for ships; he had an imagination and a sense of humour of his own.

“I cannot see cows. It is now safe. You must follow me.”

Joe smiled one of his inner smiles again. This was just Enry being her silly self once more.

The farmer was just letting the field rest naturally before next season’s planting and there had not been any cows in the meadow all year. Enry knew that but had decided to start exerting her authority for the rest of the day.

“I’m at the front,” Enry announced, “follow me.”

Off they went bouncing across the meadow, Enry in the lead with Lucy behind but almost disappearing in places where there were tall wild grasses and lovely blue cornflowers.

“Not so fast please Enry,” Lucy called to her. “I can’t keep up.”

Joe brought up the rear, couldn’t see either of them but could hear them and knew where they were so he didn’t bother calling after them.

They all kept running, jumping up and down and giggling happily in the warmth and with a wonderful sense of unexpected freedom. They were all heading in the general direction of the woods at the bottom of the gentle downward slope at the far side of the meadow.

Stop and Sit Down

A lot of the flowers seemed very big to all three of them. They smelled lovely and the not-unfriendly bumble bees were buzzing around collecting pollen from the many, many flowers. There were a few tall spiky weeds which they were careful to avoid because they knew that they would give a nasty sting if bare legs ran into them.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Joe called out as he did just that, ran into a spiky weed. “Oh, oh, oh! that stings,” he cried out.

Enry didn’t heed his call and Lucy did not want to lose sight of her sister. So Joe stopped for a moment and rubbed the bright red spots that were coming up on his left leg. He had been caught by nettles and weeds many times before and because he was a boy he just put up with their stinging; it would soon go away, perhaps.

The sky was a bright clear blue with a few cotton wool clouds lazily drifting along. This was a great day for them especially as it was a Friday and best of all, a lovely warm day with a bright and very hot sun.

There was still a bit of a distance to go to reach the woods, across the far side of the meadow, so Enry decided to call a halt.

“Here we are. Stop and sit down,” she called out in her ‘in charge’ voice. Lucy had no idea where they had arrived at, but stop she did.

“Joe, where are you? Come along now.” Enry liked those last words because her mum often used them and because she felt really in charge when she also used them.

Joe heading in the right direction towards Enry’s voice almost fell over Lucy as he reached where they were sitting down.

“Joe, that’s not very nice, you nearly fell over Lucy. Sit down.”

Flattening some more of the grass and flowers Joe sat with them, making a sort-of circle. Enry didn’t say anything more but quickly started picking lots of the flowers round her. She liked making bouquets for imaginary weddings and this could be another one.

Lucy and Joe just sat silently together watching Enry as she put together another of her bouquets.

“This is yours Lucy,” she said handing over the ‘bouquet’. “You have now been married to Joe because I say so and you now have to cuddle each other.”

Both Lucy and Joe broke into fits of laughter and were not at all sure about the cuddling, so they didn’t and stopped laughing.

They thought she was going too far yet once again, acting out another of her silly dreams.

Enry was not too pleased. “I said cuddle, and you have to do as I tell you.”

Both Lucy and Joe knew that Enry could become difficult if they didn’t do as she said and there was a full day ahead of them.

“Come here, Joe,” Lucy spoke quietly.

She reached across to Joe who didn’t resist as Lucy’s arms went round his neck and pulled him close. His face did turn a little pink though.

‘Cuddle’ over they sat quietly together. Joe was certain that Enry had tried to cause trouble and decided this might be the time to get the lemonade bottle out of his satchel. Unfastening the leather straps, he extracted the bottle and being polite, he passed it to the girls first. Enry reached out and made sure that she was first for a slurp.

They each took a quick mouthful and gave it back to Joe who had his. One of the blackcurrant sandwiches was also produced by Joe, which they shared between them, a couple of bites each. Keeping the rest of the water, the other two sandwiches and the chocolate biscuits for later on in the afternoon, everything was put away in the satchel by Joe.

This was a nice day and they were enjoying themselves already.

“Shall we go on, Enry?” asked Lucy.

“To the woods and the stream?” added Joe.

“That’s what I decided hours and hours ago,” Enry lied.

Joe and Lucy did not wish to argue with her.

“Come on, let’s move; now.”

Up they jumped, Joe still trying to put the bottle away and fasten his satchel while Enry and Lucy started to head off for the woods through the remainder of the meadow.

Joe was way behind but doing his best to keep after them and in sight or hearing while still fastening his satchel on the move.

“Wait, wait,” he shouted after them, and this time they did; just long enough for Joe to catch up. Then off they went together, down the gentle slope charging through the last of the flowers and grass which went flying everywhere.

As they came out of the meadow at the far side, there was a short clear piece of very dry, once very muddy ground.

“Those are tractor tracks,” Joe exclaimed with quiet assertion pointing at the patterns in the hard baked earth. He was now playing the part of a wild-west scout as he liked to do sometimes.

“Very clever Joe,” Enry interrupted, “and where’s the tractor now?”

“I don’t know; back at the farm maybe.”

“I thought you said you were an Indian scout? You’re not much good.” Enry drove the point home when she did not need to, but that was her.

Enry was putting Joe in a place again where he did not want to be.

Joe did not look very happy.

This narrow section of ground skirted right round the meadow, marking its boundary and also dividing it from the woods. It’s as far as the farmer’s tractor could operate when the meadow was being planted or crops reaped and it was rare to see anything growing in the compressed and baked earth; the tyre tracks were very interesting though.

“Oh, come on Joe. We all know that, we could all be Indian scouts, don’t try to be a clever clogs,” Enry tried to belittle him again.

Joe went very quiet. He thought his words were good ones and Enry had just spoiled them and was starting to spoil the day.

“Come on, follow me,” Enry was commanding again as off she strode.

Joe and Lucy did their best to catch up, over the baked earth and tracks and past the wonderful white barks of the silver birch trees that grew at the edge of the woods.

The ground between the trees was covered, however, in a low growth of rough grass and some prickly, flowery things, worse than the meadow.

The three of them found their own independent routes dodging the prickly things that might sting their legs.

Then the path into the woods was right there before them, as it had been for a very long time and off along it they went. Enry was leading of course; not having to say anything, at times just being in front was good enough for her. Past some more of the tall white barked trees to find the shade of some other old and big trees that marked the real start of the wood.

“Stop,” she bellowed, “right here.” Enry was becoming vocal again.

In the shade of one large tree Enry stopped in her tracks. She was deciding if this was a good place to sit down. Lucy and Joe came to rapid halt behind her and waited for her to say something; she always said something.

“I think we are going to have a pow-wow,” she now suggested. Any sort of suggestion from Enry was a clear command to the other two.

  Joe didn’t really mind, he was finding it fun again being with Enry and Lucy; he just didn’t want Enry to become bossy again and upset his day any more.

Enry stood there while the other two watched, then she suddenly strode purposely over to the next big tree that had lots of low branches and loads of leaves on it. She really was now asserting her believed superiority by moving place, then sitting cross legged with her back to a new big tree trunk.

“Come along you two, Come over here and sit down.”

This was just Enry, so this sort of command was to be expected. They quickly rushed over to this new place to sit down cross-legged before her.

“I think,” started Enry, “that we should go down to the stream straight away.”

“By the path?” asked Joe, hoping his suggestion would be accepted. Enry looked him sternly and square in the eyes.

“Mmmmmmm,” she hummed while pretending to ponder on some difficult decision.

“OK then,” she burst out with a big smile. “Our mums said do not get lost, so if we stick to the path we will be all right; agreed? AGREED?”

Heads were nodded on agreement. Lucy didn’t argue with her big sister, ever, and Joe knew better than to start, he wanted a nice day out. She was now invoking the authority of their mums to reinforce her air of superiority and most definitely there would be no arguments. The old path leading on through this part of the woods was well worn and easy to follow.

So up jumped Enry. Not only was she was ready for the off, but off she went at some speed while the other two were still getting to their feet.

Enry had gone off at a furious pace leaving Lucy and Joe to have to hurry to try to catch up with her, which they sort of did. They could see her in front and the path was really easy to follow; besides they knew where they were going to, despite the drama from Enry.

This part of the woods was very pleasant with lots of very tall trees with lots of dappled shade. Joe was glad to be in the flickering shade of the great canopy of green leaves high up above them which moved gently to some unseen breeze. He was carrying in his school satchel, what he thought of now, as something of a heavy load. He didn’t really mind carrying it and while being out of the sun on this hot day was most welcome, he could get very hot and sweaty running with it on his shoulders.

Within a few minutes of hurrying, they had caught up with Enry. Smiling at each other through their gasps for air, they all stepped off together at a slower pace. They were now following the path further and downwards to the little stream that trickled its way between the trees.

There it was, glistening as the sunlight coming between the leaves up above, struck the ripples of water. Socks and shoes came off quickly and were left on the ground under the satchel. Three pairs of bare feet found themselves happily splashing about in the cool running water, which was no more than say, six inches deep.

Enry got upset when Joe got a little bit over-excited, kicking up some water which hit her in the face. She was about to tell him off when a daft smile came over her face; Joe stopped feeling worried at what he had done

“I have an idea,” she said firmly.

“Oh no,” Joe thought, “she always has ideas like this and they often get us into trouble; not another one.”

“That sounds good Enry,” chirped up Lucy who had been very quiet so far. “Tell us about your idea, please, please, please.”

Stood in the stream, six feet firmly placed on the gravel bed with the cooling water streaming over them and between their toes, Enry explained.

“It’s still only morning,” she said.

She knew her times and although it was Joe wearing the watch, he still had a lot of difficulty telling the time. He had other problems too, like reading and writing which he often found very difficult. That’s why he had received the watch with a bright blue plastic strap as a Christmas present; to help and encourage him.

We are not going very far

“What’s the time Joe”, she asked, knowing that he couldn’t tell her. She could be a little dominating with a mean streak at times.

Joe held his arm out so that Enry could read the time because he couldn’t.

“See,” she said, “it’s only half past ten and that means its still morning.”

She had made Joe look silly and he knew it, but she often did this so he wasn’t that bothered and certainly not for too long in any case.

“That’s good, is it?” queried Lucy.

“Yes, very, very good, “Enry replied.

They both turned to look at Joe who quickly agreed. “Yes that’s good, very good, very, very good,” he replied almost mimicking Enry. He had no idea why it was good, it just was if Enry said it was and that saved a lot of problems.

“Right then,” said Enry, “socks and shoes on, quickly.”

She still hadn’t said what her great idea was and Joe knew that putting his socks and shoes on was agreeing with her without even knowing what she was up to; he was worried.

Out of the water, wiping feet on the soft grass to take some of the water off, then socks straight on despite toes that were still wet, followed by shoes. Enry was first with fastening the buckles on her brown open sandal type shoes, ahead of Lucy who wore the same but smaller ones, while Joe struggled with the laces on his shiny black brogues, his only shoes.

“Over the stream then, “ordered Enry and she skipped and hopped over the couple of stepping stones a short way up-stream.

Lucy followed a little way behind but poor Joe was still having problems with his laces which he couldn’t get right, especially if he tried to rush.

Enry stood on the far side with her hands on her hips staring at poor Joe.

He abandoned the task, pulled his satchel onto one shoulder and rushed along the bank to jump over the stepping stones to catch up, laces flailing everyway.         

Thankfully he didn’t trip himself up while catching up with the demanding Enry, her hands still on her hips as she looked disdainfully at him. After a short pause, she took her hands off her hips and knelt down to fasten Joe’s laces for him; no questioning, she was in charge, sort of helpful but showing that she was definitely in charge.

“There, that’s done them now,” Enry said with a big smirk on her face. Joe felt he had been put in his place, as he was supposed to be. Joe was reminded yet again that Enry really did like to be in charge.

“We are going,” she started then with held a long pause, “down there.” She swivelled round to point with an outstretched arm at the path that went off deeper into the woods.

“No we can’t,” tried Joe as Lucy stood quietly looking worried.

“We are not going very far,” Enry insisted with a firmer tone in her voice, if that was possible. “You’re not scared are you?” she queried with her nose now touching Joe’s. “Scared, scared, scared.”

“My mum said,” he tried, “we mustn’t …” He got no further as Enry finished the sentence for him, “… get lost.”

That was less the ending of a sentence than more of a dismissive, “… get lost.”

“No we won’t, I promise you, promise, promise, promise, cross my heart,” Enry continued pretending to be honest, which is something she also did often, “and hope to die.”

She finished her oath with a jubilant laugh of victory.

Lucy was giggling at the thought of something daring. If Enry said it was OK then it was, even if it was daring. Joe was not too sure, Enry could frighten him, but the excitement that came with the thought of her intention to go further into the woods ran through him like electricity and changed his mind. There was something about these occasions when Enry was being scary that excited him in a strange way.

“We shall stick to the path and only go as far as it is safe to do so,” Enry announced in her best in-charge tone. “If it doesn’t look safe then we shall turn round and come straight back here,” she added.

That sounded a lot better and really good to Joe, as good as his mum’s words, so it had to be OK. He felt much better now and wanted to get started on this adventure.

“Fall in behind me,” Enry ordered. “Quick march.”

Off she stepped with her knees coming right up in some imaginary military style of marching. Lucy was right behind her, lifting her knees up as far as she could in time with her big sister. Joe brought up the rear with his knees also coming up high, feet stamping down, but he couldn’t quite get his timing right. He was way out of step with the other two and would never make a real soldier but this was fun stuff.

The high stepping march led along this old path between lots of the old giant trees blocking out most of the sunlight with their high canopy of green leaves. The marching didn’t last too long, possibly a hundred yards or so. Here Enry stopped and both Lucy and Joe collided with her back.

“Look, look,” shouted Enry, detaching herself from the other two and pointing back the way they had just come. “That’s where we started.”

Lucy and Joe turned to look back the way that Enry was pointing and sure enough, at the end of the straggling path was the bright sunlight of where they had just been playing in the stream a few minutes before.

“I told you we would be safe,” Enry announced triumphantly in her best voice.

“Come on, let’s get on, go further, it will be OK, I know it will,” she lied trying hard to convince herself. Lucy and Joe were not sure. There was something about the way she spoke at times which didn’t sound too right.

Turning back to the way they had been marching a few moments before, off she went at more of a normal walk. Lucy hurried to be beside her while Joe still wondering about her words, had now to run a little to catch up. The path was becoming rough and uneven with lots of loose stones that had to be avoided so there were no twisted ankles.

Suddenly the path forked both left and right and they came to another sudden halt with Enry stopping first. With her hands back on her hips and looking down each path, Enry had to make a choice; which path to choose. Lucy and Joe were waiting for Enry’s decision.

“This way, I have decided. This is the best path,” Enry announced yet again in her best voice with her right hand firmly pointing. She was good at making decisions and announcements and Joe was actually impressed at how quickly she could work difficult things out.

Enry was smartly away on her own down the right hand path with Lucy and Joe scurrying to catch up. Here the trees started to change to really old dark types whose branches often came almost down to the ground. It was becoming darker here and also much cooler, too cool for Joe’s liking.

“Is she right?” Joe was thinking to himself as they continued walking with Enry. “Sometimes she does make mistakes. This is not right, there’s something wrong,” he kept repeating his thoughts to himself but this was making him really worried. He kept up with the girls although not sure of what he was doing or why.

A short way further on along this path it dipped suddenly into a hollow and without a thought of looking back, the three explorers simply walked down the slope. Enry was intrigued by the funny shapes of the tree branches, Lucy was not too sure and poor Joe was not at all happy. At the bottom they came to a sudden halt yet again, but this time it was because Joe shouted, “Stop,” at the top of his voice. Joe rarely shouted unless he was really worried or frightened.

“What’s the matter Joe, not scared again are you?” questioned Enry, annoyed at someone other than her giving the orders. “Scaredy cat, scaredy cat, scaredy cat,” she shouted into poor Joe’s face.

He was properly scared now and it showed as his bottom lip started to quiver. Enry was pleased to be back in charge. The mention of the many words, “scaredy cat” together with the sudden realisation that the light was no longer penetrating the canopy of leaves above them, as it had ten minutes ago, caused Lucy to start whimpering; she was also becoming frightened and now started to show it.

“I can’t see the light,” cried Lucy looking back the way they had just come but only seeing the rough path down the slope into this deep hollow. “And it’s cold here, where’s the light gone?” her voice trembled. “Where are we, where are we?” she demanded.

“Oh come on Lucy, up to the top and we will see it straight away,” Enry announced with some impatience and with that scampered back up the rise out of this hollow to look for herself.

Lucy and Joe stood watching at the bottom, expecting Enry to jump up and down laughing at their distress because she could see the light. She couldn’t see any light from where they had come so she didn’t jump up and down.

“We are not lost,” came yet another announcement, this time trying hard to convince herself. “I think and I have decided, that we have come far enough,” she bluffed; she had to. “And its time to turn round and walk back,” she said trying to sound sensible and brave. “Come on, follow me, I’m going this way.”

Trees cannot speak

Lucy and Joe took no more convincing; they did not want to be left in this gloomy, cold, damp hollow and hurriedly scrambled up the bank. Enry was already away and stepping off on her own.

“Wait for us, wait, wait,” cried Lucy very upset, her voice trembling and with a few tears just about starting to run down her pale cheeks.

“Enry, you tell fibs,” Joe joined in, “let us catch up, stop, stop, please stop.”

Enry did stop, not because of Joe’s pleading but mainly because she was confused. This didn’t look right. They were still on the path that had forked right, she thought, but there should have been some light in the distance but clearly there wasn’t. The gloom was becoming even darker and Enry was starting to feel unwell inside.

“You tell fibs Enry, fibs, fibs, fibs,” Joe tried, retaliating for the screaming that Enry had done in his face; he tried to feel brave but he wasn’t really succeeding.

“I don’t tell fibs, don’t you say that Joe,” Enry defended herself.

“Liar, liar, your bum’s on fire,” Joe blurted out, now starting to feel a little panic coming over him. Maybe stronger words might help, he didn’t know, but he thought that he had to say something.

“That’s very rude,” Enry shouted at poor Joe. “You said ‘bum’ and ‘liar’; wait till I tell your mum.”

She was bluffing, but her authority was well and truly questioned (although she would not have put it in those sorts of words) and had to make some sort of reply.

“Come on, we are walking back the way we came,” Enry had made yet another decision and announcement.

“Why didn’t Enry speak like everyone else,” thought Joe. She was not in his class at school so he didn’t know how she behaved there. He was in the one next door, a little further along the corridor.

Lucy was trying hard not to sob but hurried after ‘big-sis’ as she set off determinedly back along the path. Joe was once more at the rear and had to get a move on to catch them up. He didn’t like being left behind so much and in this increasing gloom he really was starting to be frightened; he didn’t want to be on his own, definitely not.

It should have been getting lighter by now, the sun’s rays coming through the leaves above and with the start of the path being in view, but it wasn’t, neither the light nor the path.

All was now gloom and darkness round about them and Joe felt certain that with each step it got darker. Then the path widened into a clearing, a very gloomy, flat clearing that hadn’t been there when they first walked this way. They stopped in the middle of it and stared round; all they could see were tree trunks, branches, gloom and darkness.

“This is not right,” Enry mumbled to herself, hoping the other two would not hear her. They hadn’t done anything wrong but Enry was now thinking strange thoughts: maybe the path had moved or maybe the trees were moving and trying to fool us. They were all starting to become really frightened.

“What’s the time Joe?” Enry wanted to know, trying to keep her voice calm even though she was as worried as Joe and Lucy.

Joe looked at his watch but it still did not make any sense to him. Enry came to stand alongside of him, took his arm roughly and pulled it up to her face to see for herself.

“Its….. nearly four o’clock. No, that’s rubbish. This is a silly watch, its still morning, how can it be late in the afternoon. Your watch is rubbish, it tells lies, lies, lies, hot bum lies.”

“You’ve just sworn, like you said I did. I’m going to tell your mum when we get home,” Joe retaliated.

“I’m allowed to because I’m in charge,” she retorted back at Joe not wishing to lose her authority.

“Then get me home,” Joe whimpered. “Get us all home, it’s time to go home, my mum said. You’re the clever one, come on work it out, I’m scared. I want to go home.”

At that Lucy broke fully into tears and pulled herself close to Enry in a big cuddle for comfort.

Joe was properly frightened and also needed some comfort now. He put his arms round Enry and Lucy, cuddling them both close as he could as the tears started to come. His small body shuddered in time with his almost pathetic sobbing.

“Shushshshshshshshshshshshshshhshshshshshshshshshsh,” a strange, eerie, lingering sound came out from somewhere between the trees to the left, like a gentle, long rustle of leaves.

“Shshshshshshshshshsh children, gently now, there, there,” it turned into a whispering voice.

“Who’s there?” demanded Enry using all the courage she could find. “Who is it? Who’s there, who’s there?” she shouted in the direction that the strange words may have come from.

Joe and Lucy held on to Enry even more strongly and they were now sobbing for real.

“Shush, there’s no need to cry,” another voice replied from the opposite side of the clearing on the right. “You may be lost but we can help you find your way home,” the rustling voice continued.

“Who are you,” Enry tried with her last ounce of courage but now feeling really frightened herself.

“We are the trees,” the voice gently replied. “Well of course we are,” yet another voice chipped in.

“Trees cannot speak,” Enry used her sternest voice. “They just can’t, they can’t, they can’t,” she insisted stamping a foot on the soft ground.

Lucy repeated Enry’s words and shouted out loud, “Trees can’t speak.”

“Yes we can,” another one of them replied, as though surprised by the outburst from the two girls.

“No you can’t” Enry shouted back, stamping her foot on the ground once more.

Joe hugged the girls tighter, didn’t want to say anything or hear anything anymore; he closed his eyes and wished for home as his trembling increased.

“But we can, we can, honestly,” yet another whispering voice joined in.

“And you are talking to them Lucy,” Joe chipped in with an amazing moment of perception and bravado although perhaps with a good push from a sense of panic.

Lucy was stunned by the obvious conclusion of Joe, the realisation that the trees were actually speaking and she had been talking to them; she stood there holding tight but still trembling with tears still dribbling down her rosy cheeks.

Then all at once, the voices of the trees came from all directions around the clearing and they all spoke together, slowly and clearly.

“We can speak, so you must listen, and listen carefully to what we will say. We will not harm you. You have nothing to fear from us,” the trees announced.

“You have wandered into a faerie glen,” they continued, “where there may be much more than just kind trees and good faeries. There could be goblins who would take you away forever.”

“Nooooo,” Enry moaned out loud but without any of the conviction of her previous pronouncements.

“And you would never go home again, ever,” another tree finished on its own.

“Please, please, I want to go home, I just want to…,” Lucy didn’t finish her words but broke into awful sobbing as she held on even closer to her sister. Joe was pushed out of the way by Lucy but soon wrapped his arm around them both and hid his sobbing face in Enry’s shoulder.

“Listen to what we say,” they spoke as one again. “Shush now, do not cry, please listen to what we have to say and all will be well.

To the children’s great surprise the tree voices together and in a single most harmonious sound, broke into a rhyming song.

“In the depth of the wood where good light’s not seen,”

“In the dark and the gloom, where no child has been,”

“Where the old leaves on the ground deaden all sound,”

“Here is where the magic of trees can be found,”

“But goblins may guide you to their hidden dark lair,”

“Or a pixie will take you to heaven knows where,”

“Here’s where the faeries of brightness abound,”

“Looking for lost children who need to be found.”

We See and Hear everything

All three found themselves feeling much calmer as these words finished but without knowing why. Their sobbing stopped and they rubbed the tears from their faces. They even let go of each other.

This wasn’t real, how could it be. But all three of them just stood there, their mouths gaping wide open and with all of their sobbing and tears stopped.

The words of the trees had worked some sort of magic; the children could hardly believe what had happened. The trees could actually speak and they could recite poetry and they had made all the children feel calm and no longer frightened.

In the midst of the gloom, in the depths of the woods, a light started to glow. Not very bright but definitely a light and they all stood there staring at the glow, mouths still wide open trying to catch flies, as their mum’s might say.

“Now children, it’s not polite to stand with your mouths open, it looks as though you are really trying to catch flies,” one of the trees in front of them had spoken again.

Could the trees read minds or did they know the same words as mums? Which tree had spoken was anybody’s guess because none of them had moved, none of the branches had stirred and not a rustle was heard? The children’s fright had reduced only to be replaced by an increasing sense of confusion.

“That’s because we are trees that live not only in the human world, your world, but also in the land of faeries where all living things can talk to each other,” the same tree responded.

It did seem as though the trees were listening to their very thoughts.

“But of course we are,” the same one spoke again. “You cannot read our minds can you? That is why we are speaking to you. We haven’t spoken out loud for a very long time. It’s interesting and very nice to have someone to speak to and who will listen to what we may say.”

“That makes good sense, doesn’t it children?” a different tree off to their left questioned.

All three turned as one to their left to see who, or what was speaking but there was nothing to see but a dark depth of woodland with lots of twisted old tree branches.

“What do you want to see children?” the previous tree voice somewhere to their right asked and the children swivelled back to face what they couldn’t see but could hear.

“We are not like humans or even faeries. We do not have mouths, ears or eyes but we see and hear everything and sometimes we speak.”

“Especially if children have become lost and need help,” another tree concluded.

The first tree voice took up the narrative. “We have told the Faerie Queen of your problem and she is sending a good faerie to help you right now. That’s her you can see coming through between us, off in the distance; she glows nicely, doesn’t she?”

None of the children replied, just turned to stare in the direction of the advancing glow.

The glow was golden and was steadily growing in size. In a moment it was upon them, hovering in the midst of this clearing just before them; a shining, bright golden orb just floating there, glowing brightly.

The children said nothing, just stood with their mouths dropping open again.

The glow then got bigger and bigger and bigger to slowly transform into the most beautiful faerie anyone had ever seen, certainly not the children who had never seen a faerie. They had read about faeries, of course, but that was in books for infants, not for them, faeries were just ‘faerie stories’, weren’t they?

“Ohhhhh,” Enry managed in a croaky squeak of a voice.

This real faerie was dressed in a pale pink jacket and hat and with the fairest of complexions; her delicate face was the purest love. Her wings moved slowly and gently behind her and were of a shimmering gold that could be almost seen through. An aura of the gentlest golden light surrounded her completely.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh,” Enry croaked again.

She was not very tall, but floating in the air she was on a level to speak directly to all of them without having to look up or down. Her feet, clad in some delicate pink, slipper-shoes were about where Joe’s belt held up his trousers. She must have been about half as tall as Enry.

For certain, Enry, Lucy and Joe had never, ever seen a faerie before and their mouths gaped even wider, if that was possible. Enry did not say another croak.

“Henrietta, Lucy and Joseph,” the most beautiful of sights spoke gently but firmly to the three lost children. “You did not heed the words of your mothers, now did you?”

The faerie waited for a reply as the three children wanted to hold each other again and stood dumbfounded at what was happening before their very eyes.

“Did you?” she repeated the question firmly this time.

“No, no,” they all stammered together having closed their mouths and found the ability to speak again.

“It was Enry’s fault,” Joe tried unsuccessfully. Lucy just shook her head from side to side and couldn’t find any words.

“No it wasn’t”, Enry retorted.

“What a beautiful faerie you are,” Lucy now finding something to say and very sensibly at that, stopped the blame words. “What is your name faerie, can you tell me?”

Lucy was speaking the most sensibly she ever had and was even surprising herself a little by this.

“Thank you Lucy,” The faerie spoke so beautifully. “That is the nicest and most sensible thing I have heard any of you say.”

“I am called Serin,” she replied talking directly to Lucy, “and you may call me that.”

“I just want to go home, Serin,” Lucy managed. “Can you help me?”

“I’m sure I can,” she replied again directly to Lucy who felt a lovely warm glow spread inside her.

The other two just stood and stared at Lucy whose face told a story of happiness and without speaking a word.

“Do you know where you are and how long you have been here?” the faerie enquired of all three.

“We are in the woods and its still morning,” Enry had found a better voice than the croak of a few moments ago and tried to be clever, sounding important again despite the emptiness she felt inside.

“You are in very special woods where you were told not to go,” the faerie responded. “And, you have been here for almost a month in human time.”

None of them understood what the faerie was saying and Enry and Joe continued to stand there with their mouths hanging open once again.

Lucy was smiling a lovely happy smile; she knew inside that she would really be safe with this lovely faerie called Serin.

“These woods are faerie woods,” Serin continued. “I do not know how you managed to walk into here, but I think it was back at the fork in the path.”

She paused before explaining further.

“It’s an old trick of goblins to catch unwary humans, especially children, and you are very lucky not to be caught by one. The good trees whispered to my Queen, who sent me on my way quickly to come to be with you. I came here as quickly as I could.”

“And you really have been here a very long, long time by human clocks, and of course wristwatches,” she said turning her attention to Joe who felt the same spreading warmth inside him that Lucy was still feeling. Joe felt really calm now and knew, somehow, that this would turn out all right and that he would get home after all.

“Nearly a whole month, a WHOLE MONTH,” she exaggerated her pronunciation. “Your mothers will be very sad because you are have been missing for such a long, long time.”

“That can’t be,” Enry contradicted Serin, “it’s still morning.”

“Nearly a whole month, a WHOLE MONTH,” Serin repeated herself.

Enry didn’t want to say any more. Her sense of confusion was now increasing at the same pace as her unhappiness; she was lost for anything to say or to think.

“It is my job to get you home safely,” Serin said. This had a calming effect somehow on Enry or was she doing something that couldn’t be seen. “And I shall see what I can do to keep you all and your mothers happy; come, follow me.”

You must trust and follow Me

She glided past them, her golden translucent wings fluttering gently, giving off cascades of bright sparkles as they did so. Her unmoving feet were well and truly off the ground and she could only be said to be a gliding vision of grace and beauty.

But she was going back in the direction from where they had just got lost only a short while ago, not back to where they thought the stream and the meadow should be. Joe and Lucy found their legs and feet just walking them away almost automatically after Serin.

“This is the wrong way”, Enry chirped up, not having moved, finding her strength again, or was it just obstinacy, placing her hands on her hips and trying to be in command once more.

Serin, the faerie, stopped in mid flight and turned round to face Enry.

“Are you telling me that I don’t know where I am going or what I am doing?” Serin the faerie questioned nicely, hovering directly in front of Enry’s face.

“I don’t know,” blubbered Enry as her commanding tone suddenly disappeared. “I know I am lost and I think you are trying to get us even more lost.”

The faerie ignored the assault on her good nature, gently smiled and asked, “Do YOU know the way out of the woods, should I follow you?”

“No, no, no,” Enry blubbered again and her brief sensation of happiness departing her, she even started to cry. She was no longer in charge of anybody or anything and she knew it. She was hurting a lot inside, something she hadn’t ever felt before and couldn’t stop.

Serin just hovered directly in front of Enry, reached out to place her delicate hand on Enry’s cheek and smiled a wonderful smile at her. The same warm glow as Lucy and Joe were still experiencing, coursed through her. Enry felt better but didn’t appear to smile or say thank you, which was very rude. Lucy not knowing what was happening with her big sister who was always right, and despite her nice feeling inside, nearly started to whimper again.

Joe just couldn’t figure out what was going on, but he knew that he was becoming a little confused and frightened once more; his brief happiness was rapidly disappearing.

Serin stopped touching Enry’s cheek and floated before all the children.

“Now children,” Serin addressed them. “You must trust me and follow wherever I go. It is only a very short distance for me to take you all home safe and sound, I promise you. Come, come now.” With that she turned round and continued her graceful float along the woodland path that she had chosen.

The three children had no choice but to follow her and somehow they found that their feet and legs were managing to walk almost on their own. With a slightly unsteady step they followed behind the most beautiful countenance they could ever have imagined. As Serin glided effortlessly before them, her wings barely moved but as they did, they again left a cascade of sparkles evaporating in the air behind her.

“Faerie dust,” Joe exclaimed, “look it’s faerie dust.”

Serin stopped her gentle flight and turned to face Joe.

“You really are a very clever young man,” she said and reaching out to touch his face, just like she had done with Enry, a new warmth spread within Joe from his toes to the top of his head; his fingers started to tingle nicely.

“I think that I will have to make it my purpose to keep an eye on you Joe as you grow up, as you will, into a fine young man.” Serin smiled a wonderful smile that only Joe could understand.

“Come,” Serin spoke to them all yet again and turned to continue her passage through these dark and frightening woods. 

Slowly but surely, the darkness changed to gloom which gave way to a bright sunshine coming through the wonderful green leaves of the canopy above.

Here Serin stopped, turned to the children and spoke in a quiet, gentle voice.

“We are nearly there and I want you to think nice thoughts; you must not be frightened or this might not work. You are all nice children. You should all think nice thoughts like nice children should do and all will be fine.”

With that they all felt another warm feeling inside of them once again; they did feel nice.

Serin floated forward into the bright sunshine and as the children followed they were forced to close their eyes really tight to avoid the sudden bright glare.

But what was this?

That last step forward had brought them to the outside of Joe’s house next to the back garden gate and they had not even crossed the meadow.

“Are you children going to play in the meadow and the woods, or not,” Joe’s mother enquired from the open kitchen window. “It’s a fine day, off you go now and don’t be late, be back by four.”

They all stood once more with their mouths wide open, catching flies as a little giggle was heard behind them.

As one they turned together to see the beautiful faerie Serin slowly disappearing into thin air. Before she went completely she said something that they would never ever forget

“Remember what your mothers tell you, they really do know best. If you disobey them you just might end up where you do not want to be and without good trees and a good faerie to sort matters out, you may forever be lost.”

And with a little wave and a sort of gentle popping sound, she disappeared for ever.

They looked at each other in a different way than they had ever done before. Taking each others hands, Enry in the middle, Lucy to her right and Joe on the left, they walked away slowly along the path, between the gardens and the hedgerow, towards the meadow.

That day they wandered again quietly through the meadow until they found a spot to sit together as good friends. They no longer wanted to go anywhere near the woods or the stream, spending most of their time gathering flowers, drinking warm water from the pop bottle, eating their blackcurrant jam sandwiches and enjoying the special chocolate biscuits.

They still could not figure out what had really happened. Henrietta was no longer bossy and hated the nickname Enry; it was never, ever used again.

Lucy seemed to have grown up a few years, although she had not really become any older, and could now speak easily for herself, no longer needing her big sister to speak up for her.

Joseph found that telling the time was really quite easy and he was so proud of his wrist watch that he kept checking it all day long announcing on each occasion just what the time was. Henrietta and Lucy enjoyed Joe constantly telling them the time and he was very happy because he could and did.

When it was the right time to, he took a special pleasure in announcing, “It is four o’clock by my blue watch. It is time to go home as our Mums told us to.”

“Thank you Joe,” Henrietta and Lucy replied with big smiles.

They headed back through the wild flowers of the meadow in the direction of home with Henrietta in the middle, Lucy to her right and Joe to her left, all of them holding hands again and smiling warmly at each other. They now had a secret which nobody would ever believe, so they would keep it to themselves especially as it made them all feel a nice special warmth inside each time they remembered.

~ o ~

Author's Notes

I was told this story by an elderly and most entertaining lady while enjoying a cup of tea with her in the lounge of some sheltered housing. She was a resident in this housing block and just happened to be in the lounge when I walked in, at the end of a technical survey visit there, for a refreshing break from a long day’s work.

I had just sat down with a cup of tea in hand and a couple of custard creams on the saucer when she very carefully and slowly walked over to sit next to me and introduce herself. I was the first new face that she had seen for quite a while and was determined to acquaint me with her story in the hope that I would listen where many others over the years had not.

The story she told was more or less what you have just read. I managed to take some notes in my site note book as she spoke, to act as a memory jogger for later on when I would get around to writing them up in a coherent form. Yes, there has been a little adjustment here and there where my memory did not fill in the gaps properly but this occurred only in a few points within the story.

The elderly lady’s name was Edith and she told me that she was a classmate of Lucy at junior school and that the whole story was told to her when they were much older and had encountered each other at their first place of employment upon leaving secondary school.

She swore to me that the events described were absolutely true but, unfortunately, I never managed to have her read my typed draft to confirm that I got it put down correctly. She had passed away at the ripe old age of ninety three only a few days after I had left her smiling at me while eating one of my custard creams.

~ o ~