👻Just One Last Time! 🎃

 

 
            Floyd, I kid you not, and Ricky, were both 13 years old. It took some convincing, but they managed to talk both sets of parents into the idea that it would be OK one more time. They wanted to do the thing one last time. In some cultures, 13-year-old boys are officially men, and they knew that. Men don’t go trick or treating.
            Darkness comes early at the end of October. It was a rainy fall too. When Floyd came to pick up Ricky at his house, the wind blew up the road. Big cold drops of rain hit them full in the face.
            “You sure you want to do this?” said Ricky, zipping up his jacket and shivering. His plastic bag was in his pocket. His costume was his dad’s beret and a mustache made of eye makeup.
            “Last chance, Ricky. We better make the best of it,” said Floyd, who was shivering a little too. His costume was a red bandana over his mouth and nose, like a bandit in a cowboy movie. His blond hair was back in a stubby ponytail. He had twenty pounds and four inches on his friend.
            “We don’t have to stay out all night. Some people might even tell us to go away,” laughed Floyd.
            Ricky lived at the edge of the sticks. Floyd had to hike from his development, clear out there to pick Ricky up. Once they were out on the road the night felt wild. From time to time the rain let up, and the moon granted them a little pale light.
            No other kids were out there.
            “Do you want to walk back to my street and start there, or here?” said Floyd, glancing up and down the road. “Does anybody live here?”
            “We do. There’s one other place. I don’t know them, but there is a long driveway into the trees, and there is a house down there. We could try there,” said Ricky. “We just walk back the way you came, and turn in by the mailbox.”
            In about a quarter of a mile the mailbox appeared on the right side and beyond it was a dark driveway leading off into a stand of firs and alders. No light was apparent from the road.
            “OK, remember this was your idea,” said Floyd.
            They could hear their own steps squishing through fallen leaves and muddy gravel. It was a long driveway. When they were about halfway down to the house it felt like the forest closed in around them.
            Eventually, a small old house appeared. There were two dull lights. One on each side of the door. This place looked like somebody had built it himself in the 1950s or something. It had one single story, a corrugated metal roof, and a two-step porch made of lumber.
            There was a window on either side of the door. Each was comprised of two horizonal panes. There seemed to be a light deep inside the house somewhere.
            “I don’t know,” said Ricky.
            “Their porch lights are on. They must expect kids,” said Floyd.
            Floyd stepped up first and knocked. They waited for like two minutes, feeling slightly foolish, like someone would laugh at them for this.
            The door opened slowly. An older lady in a terrycloth bathrobe stood before them. Her salt and pepper hair was in curlers, not that either kid knew what those things in her hair were. Her robe was red. She had homemade knitted slippers with pompoms on her feet. She looked surprised. Her eyes were black, like maybe she was Italian or something.
            “Trick or treat!” said Floyd cheerfully. Ricky grimaced.
            “Oh!” said the lady. “Wait here.”
            Three more minutes passed. “Maybe we should go,” whispered Ricky.
            But she came back. She had a Tupperware box in her hand. In it were pink and chocolate cupcakes, wrapped in saranwrap, and some big pieces of fudge, also wrapped in saranwrap. She held the box toward them.
            “Help yourselves,” she said. “I made them today.”
            This was not how Floyd and Ricky had expected Halloween to go, but they each took a cupcake and a piece of fudge and put them in their plastic bags.
            “Thank you, ma’am,” said Floyd. “Happy Halloween!” As they turned to step down, she winked, and slowly closed the door.
            Neither spoke as they walked back down the driveway. Halfway back to the road, Ricky said, “I don’t know, man. Do you think we should eat this stuff?” But he was laughing, and they both got the giggles. 

            “Wow!” said Floyd. He glanced back down toward the house. But now, he saw only night down there. No porchlights shone in the darkness. Like the place had never even existed.
            “Hey, look, she turned out the lights!” said Floyd. He had a funny feeling in his stomach.
            “No! Look!” said Ricky. “There’s a light or something.” And there was. Right behind them, hanging in the air, a dull orange sphere, casting no light, glowered silently. Softball sized.
            “I’m done. I don’t need this!” said Floyd. “Time to go!”
            But as Floyd and Ricky turned back to the business of getting to the paved road, it seemed as if some presence paced them, just a bit off into the trees. Heavy footsteps walked when they walked, and stopped when they stopped.
            “Somebody’s messing with us,” said Floyd, quickening his steps.
            “You hope. I’ve heard some stuff,” said Ricky, walking just as quickly.
            “Nah, don’t start that, Ricky!” said Floyd, as they broke out onto the road by the mailbox, which, by the way, had no name or number on it.
            Things went better in Floyd’s neighborhood. Nice square blocks were full of Halloween decorations, brightly lit porches, laughing groups of kids. There were little kids with parents. Dogs barked here and there. The rain quit, and it turned into a very nice night.
            Ricky enjoyed Floyd’s neighborhood, and they each got a disgraceful amount of candy. Neither gave a thought to the saran wrapped cupcake and fudge getting smashed in the bottom of their bags.
            It was after eleven when Floyd and Ricky walked back to Ricky’s place. Floyd was going to spend the night with Ricky at his house.
            Once more they walked the dark country road. No one was out there. The clouds closed back in and the wind came up again. Both guys were tired, sick of candy, and glad to get into Ricky’s nice warm house with bright lights and cheerful parents.
            “So, where did you go?” said Lucy, the mom. “Get lots? Let’s see! Oh no! That’s ridiculous!” she laughed.
            “The first place we went was weird,” said Ricky. “It was right down the road on the right side down a real long driveway.”
            “You should have seen the lady!” said Floyd. “She had things in her hair, and was wearing a bathrobe.” He was giggling again. “She was real old and scraggly!”
            “Where do you mean, Ricky?” said Lucy, quietly.
            “By the mailbox, just down there a little way,” said Ricky. But he didn’t look happy.
            “Ricky, honey, nobody has lived in the old Lambert place for twenty years. I don’t know what you mean,” said Lucy. “Nobody could have been there. The house isn’t even inhabitable.”
            “No, really, mom. She gave us cupcakes and fudge,” said Ricky. “I’ll show you.”
            So, both guys dumped their bags out on the kitchen table, and there at the bottom were the squashed, saran wrapped cupcakes and fudge.
            “I wouldn’t eat them even if they weren’t squashed,” said Floyd.
            “Me neither,” said Ricky.
            With a shudder, Lucy unwrapped the cupcakes and the fudge and put them down the garbage disposal.
            Neither kid mentioned the footsteps in the dark driveway.

💚🎃💚

A Fine October 28th to You!

            Just a couple of thoughts on the subject of butter, and cats and butter, or just cats in general.

            Of butter; no one had to sell mankind on butter. Eating butter has been going on for as long as people have kept cows, or other milch animals. It's a natural trait.

            What they had to sell you was marg. and Crisco, the various seed oils. Families had to be scared into it. Obviously, these products which had only existed in the last twenty minutes of human history must be better, more health-giving. Obviously. Any fool could see it, if they squinted just right and held their breath!

            Of cats plus butter; some like it, some don't. The Scouts will take a lick or two and seem pleased, but don't finish the pat. Of course, they have never spent a hungry moment in their lives. So, they are, perhaps understandably, blasé. 

            Suzy finds the subject ridiculous.

            And there you have it! There is a wild variation in our furry little buddies. I try and try to feel their thought processes. What is it like to be a cat? 

            I sure hope it's all fun for them. They give a lot and they deserve to have a nice life.

 💮💙💮

🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛The Twa Moggies of Space & Time

 

For display purpose only!

            So then, Suzy has a lot of time on her paws these days. There’s not a whole lot going on down under the big old desk to keep her busy. Heck, her personal facilities are down there too. She doesn’t go anywhere. I mean, not in regular space/time..

            Casting her mind about, as she does, she conceived of an idea. She was pretty sure Toots would love it. There was only to propose the notion to the girl herself!

 

            “Toots, are you there? Am I coming in?” said Suzy.

            “I’m always here, Suzy. But yeah, you’re coming in meow and clear!” said Toots.

            “I have an idea. I mean, unless you’re busy, of course,” Suzy sent.

            “That might depend a little bit on the idea, Suzy. It’s been a little while since we did anything exciting. I will admit that life has been a little normal lately. So, OK. Lay it on me.”

            “We’ve done Space, right” said Suzy, confidently.

            “Yes, we did Space, though we didn’t do all of it!” Toots was giggling a little.

            “Have you thought about Time, Toots? I mean, we live right now, right? Of course, we do, and it’s often rather bland. Of course, I am speaking from underneath an old DOD desk. Baby, there ain’t nothin’ happening down here.

            “I got to thinking. What if we could visit some other time and space? What do you think? Do you think it’s possible? Do you want to?” said Suzy, all breathlessly and excited.

            “Would we be home in time for treats and brushing?” said Toots.

            “Oh, you know how this works. I don’t think anybody would notice. We’d just be in our regular retreats, to the casual observer,” urged Suzy. “I even have an idea of where we might go to visit!”

            “Give me a minute here. I’m thinking. You know, we must be Cautious™. Remember dear Felicette!” said Toots.

            “Oh, Toots! We won’t actually be there in our fur and whiskers. Only our minds will be there! Nobody can grab a mind on the street. In fact, they can’t see one either. So there!”

            “Well, when do you have in mind?” asked Toots.

            “How about ancient Purrsia?” said Suzy. “It’s purrfect! I heard they really liked cats; I mean lions mostly. They had lions all over everything!”

            “OK, Suzy. We can try it, but just for a few minutes. It might be too weird,” said Toots. “How will we do this?”

            “Let’s just think ‘Purrsia’ together and see what happens,” said Suzy.

            So, after a few minutes of getting their thoughts synchronized, the girls opened their inner eyes on a street scene such as they had never imagine existed. They must have hit downtown. Both sides of the street were lined with large stone buildings decorated ornately.

            “I see what you mean,” said Toots. “There are lions on everything. I’m glad no one can see us, though.”

            Darkly swarthy men walked along, with carefully arranged beards and high headdresses. They wore strange fancy skirts and sandals! But they looked super fierce too.

             Not everyone looked like they were in a fancy costume play though. There were some who might have been slaves in simple garb, carrying things. There were what appeared to be tradesmen, with carts being pulled by donkeys.

            Some elaborately coifed and dressed women were carried by in carts. One had an exceedingly regal cat in her cart with herself. This cat cast a bored indifferent eye on the scene around itself. It was three times larger than either of the girls physical bodies, and covered with a spotted pattern with stripes. It yawned and the lady patted its head.

            “I’m glad no one can see us either,” said Suzy. “I feel sort of queasy. I had no idea that time travel would do that!”

            “Imagine if they could see us,” shuddered Toots.

            A large rat appeared beside them. “I can see you,” he said.

            “No, you can’t,” said Suzy, “And you have a lot of nerve to speak to us, rat!”

            “Don’t you know the fate of rats?” warned Toots. “We are your sworn doom!”

            “Nope. I’m not really here. Sorry. You’ll have to put up with me,” said the rat.

            “When are you from, rat?” said Suzy. “Or are you from this time, but another place?”

            “Not sure. I was on a wooden sailing ship. The sailors didn’t look like these people. They had yellow hair and spoke a different language. I got tired of it, and decided to look around a little,” said the rat. “Nobody on a ship, or anywhere else loves a rat,” said the rat. “I’m for me because nobody else is!”

            His virtual whiskers twitched, and his eyes like little black beads regarded them coldly.

            “Suzy, I want to go home! We’re in this outlandish place talking to a common ship’s rat on the street. Time traveler or not, it’s too much,” said Toots.

            “Maybe we should check out the old west or something next time,” agreed Suzy. “That might be more fun. We could see how cats in the old west lived, and stuff like that!”

            “There’s no place like home!” said Toots.

            “There’s no place like home!” said Suzy at the same time. They said it a couple more times, until that time was their own time.

            Suzy looked around. Ah, she felt so cozy and safe. Everything she needed was near to paw, and she was glad.

            Toots, looked around, and there was Sammie, snoozing beside her, and it felt so normal and sweet to be home.

            But they were both still thinking about the old American west!

 

To be continued!

MEOW!

 

❤️⏱️❤️

The Very Heart of Winter❄️

 

*

 
            The wind came to Ralph one day, blowing long and cold and low. The sky closed down, tight, white, and dense.
            “Winter is coming, Forest Lord,” said the wind.
            “It feels early,” said Ralph.
            “Aye, you’ll see!” said the wind, hurrying away to the west.
            Standing there, among the firs, Ralph raised his hands to the sky, and sang a wordless song, a song low and slow. It was a song of his fathers. A song to welcome winter.
            Then he listened. As if in answer the remaining leaves sighed and relinquished their hold with a dry papery sound. Then the Forest was silent.
            “So, fall is over,” said Ralph, and headed on down to the fire to talk to Ramona.
            It was getting colder quickly. By the time he got to the fire, tiny flakes of snow were falling, and his breath went before him in clouds.
            “Mona, the wind tells me that winter is coming,” he smiled.
            “Winter changes things, Baby,” she said. The tiny flakes fell in her hair giving her a festive look. “I love winter,” she said.
            “I think I’ll go check in on Rick. I’ll tell him what the wind tells me,” said Ralph.
            Well, as you know, winter is different outside the Home Clearing. The snow really piles up outside. By the time Ralph got to the parking lot it was up to his ankles, covering up the dirty refrozen stuff with stunning white.
            The campground was empty. But Rick’s rig was parked in its normal place. Snow was gathering on the hood, so he’d been there for a while. Dexter’s Honda wasn’t there. Leaving giant footprints, Ralph crossed over to the office door. He knew the snow would cover his tracks soon enough.
            He knocked, and slipped into the office.
            “Hey,” said Rick, yawning and closing his laptop.
            “Yep,” said Ralph, taking a seat. “I bet you wonder why I’m here.”
            “Figure you’ll tell me.”
            “The wind came through a while ago, Rick, and told me that fall is over and winter is here. It’s going to snow a lot,” said Ralph.
            Rick looked at him and didn’t speak. He got up and went out to the kitchen, coming back with two mugs of coffee. He set them down, and went back for a box of Safeway doughnuts to go with the Safeway coffee. It was a Safeway kind of day.
            “I believe you. Why wouldn’t I. The wind might hint to me, but it doesn’t give me the weather report,” said Rick after he had sat back down. “The campground is closed. Dexter and Hannah and Honey Bear have moved into Arlington for a while.”
            “Looks deserted,” said Ralph.
            “I have to stick around,” said Rick.
            “A funny thing happened a couple of days ago. It was getting dark. I was heading out to my truck to go home. And I saw something. This is hard to explain.
            “I glanced up into the campground because I caught something in the corner of my eye. It was a light. There’s no reason for a light to be there. Well, I had to go up there and see what it was, if I could. It was hard to say exactly where it was, so it was hard to say how big it was. It didn’t look like a flashlight, or a lantern. It was still.
            “When I got up there, I could see that it was right up over my head. I could see that it was about the size of a basketball. It was a very bright deep blue color.
            “’Who are you?’ popped out of my mouth before I could think what I was saying,” said Rick.
            “What then?” said Ralph.
            “I can’t tell anybody but you. This blue light thing, seeming to be hollow almost, like a bubble, sank down to my eye level and just a few feet ahead of me. And I began to hear music, and it became brighter, and then brighter!
            “I panicked. I started hauling off backwards, tripped and fell and when I looked up, sitting there on the asphalt, it was gone.
            “What was that, Ralph? Do you know what that was?” said Rick.
            “It’s more a case of who that was. A person,” said Ralph.
            “A person?” repeated Rick.
            “They’ve been around so long that they don’t have the kind of bodies that you and I do. They’re alive. You started the conversation when you asked who it was!” said Ralph. “He won’t hurt you. Probably thought you were ready to talk!”
            “That was kind of sudden!” burst out of Rick.
            “You’re a lucky man. You’ve had a taste of the music of the spheres! If you see him again, try asking him something. See what happens. But if you see an orange one, don’t touch!” said Ralph. “There must be a reason he came to you.”
            Outside, the snow was falling heavily. Ralph’s tracks were barely visible.
            “I sure don’t know why that would be,” said Rick. “What’s wrong with the orange ones?”
            “They aren’t evil, but they don’t mix well with flesh and blood. It might be OK to talk to one of those, just don’t touch.” Ralph said as he chose a chocolate doughnut with white icing.
            “Things are sure different from how I thought they were. What’s next?” said Rick.
            “I can’t tell you what’s next. I don’t know. But I know who to trust, and so do you,” Ralph smiled.
            “That’s true. Can’t go wrong that way,” said Rick, smiling at last.
            “No fear!” said Ralph. He had a pumpkin spice doughnut next.
            “I think I’ll skedaddle back to the fire!” said Ralph.
            “Say hi to Ramona, Ralph!” Rick called as Ralph slipped out into the snowstorm.

❄️💙❄️

* Probably shot by my Navigator.

🐈‍⬛In Which The Girls Stage a Protest & Gossip a Bit

 

            “Suzy, I’ve been wondering how it’s going down there under the desk these days?” said Toots, who was communing with Suzy from her favorite retreat amongst the lumber. It’s nice there, and a girl can really think.

            “Well, as they say, it’s going,” said Suzy, when she picked up the transmission. “Those two still look at me. They’re bigger all the time. Maybe there’s been a terrible mistake, and they are actually jaguars?”

            “I wouldn’t like to live with two jaguars either! How do you manage, Dear?” said Toots, imagining it all too well.

            “I protest! What else can I do?” replied Suzy. “I hiss, growl, and go for their noses!”

            “If it were me, Honey, I would scream like a banshee!” agreed Toots.

            “As far as my accommodations, it’s quite nice! I have everything I need, except the run of the house!”

            “You know what I protest?” said Toots. “The ignominious lack of respect given Felicette, the French cat who was sent into space! The Tom, who was supposed to take the trip, ran away when danger threatened, which was actually pretty sharp of him, so they battened onto dear Felicette, who was said to be a stray of the streets so that no one would care about her fate!”

            “Oh! What happened?” said Suzy.

            “She was a Tuxi, too! It isn’t right!” said Toots. “She was sent into space. But not like we do it, which is completely harmless! Then the space capsule came back down, with a parachute, and she survived the trip.

            “There should have been a parade in her honor, but no, Suzy. They 'put her to sleep' and examined her brain!” whispered Toots.

            “Oh, for shame! What did they expect to find? Little tiny ET’s?” said Suzy.

            “The mind boggles!” said Toots. “I’m sure it would be different now! That was a long time ago.”

            “I must admit that these big spotty, stripy dummies don’t endanger my life. They just make me feel all edgy and nervous,” said Suzy, while keeping a sharp eye out for the same.

            “By the way, how’s your boyfriend?” said Suzy.

            “I haven’t seen him in a while, and he better keep it that way! Ahem! Thank you!”

            “Oh, I thought you liked him! Ah, see anything else interesting out of your window?” Suzy was giggling now.

            “Not lately. But I think they know I’m watching, so they stay away,” said Toots, looking fierce.                

            “Brrrrt! Ewwww!” growled Suzy. “What would you do if you saw something OFF?”

            “Scream! You betcha! Until he came out to see!” said Toots.

            “Well, just pray that the Red Dot doesn’t come to your house! We are haunted by it! I never know when it will appear, and it is fickle and elusive above all things! It cannot be captured or eaten. It has no substance, Toots! It’s horrible beyond belief and definitely OFF!”

Suzy said in an awed voice. “I protest the Red Dot, but I don’t know if that will do me any good.”

            “Suzy, let us Purr™ together that the Red Dot never comes to our houses!” said Toots.

            “Ameow!” said Suzy.

            “Ameow, indeed!” said Toots.

            So, having said their bit for today, the girls bid you a very pleasant Suzday, and say Goodbye for now!

 

MEOW!

❤️

🍁Ralph Country, October 26, 2012 🍁

 Just a quiet drive into the forest one day.

It was a misty, perfect October afternoon.

You'd have to be pretty tough and very adapted,

to live out there.

They make the local Indigenous, before contact, look high tech!

I hope you also have a perfect October day.

Ralph agrees, and his invitation still stands.

💚

I'm Not A Plaidie!

 

            Berry saw it first. He gave Bob a significant look, and nodded toward it.
            “I wonder if it’s edible,” said Berry, standing up and trying to get a better look.
            What they saw was a red pointed object moving around through the melting snow and fallen brush in the smaller meadow, out beyond Uncle Bob’s Stump House. It moved in an wandering pattern, like some creature trying to get through rough terrain.
            “I don’t know yet,” said Bob. “I think we had better go find out!”
            “Oh, I hope it’s good to eat!” said Berry.
            So, together they slunk carefully, and subtly as they could manage, golden eyes shining, in the direction of this anomaly. It took a few direction changes as the quarry moved in an erratic pattern, following no known path.
            At last, their paths met with a small person wearing a tall red cap, little leather boots, and the whole deal. He also had long silver whiskers down to his belt in front. There were silver buttons on his jacket of blue.
            “It’s a Plaidie,” whispered Bob to Berry.
            “Ho there, Plaidie,” said Berry. He licked his lips. Bob laughed beside him.
            The wee fellow looked at them in alarm. “I’m no Plaidie!”
            “It’s true that no Plaidie would dare run loose in here,” said Berry, rather disappointed, because he was a bit hungry.
            “We’ve never eaten a Plaidie,” said Bob. "And now we can't eat this guy!"
            “There’s always a first time,” said Berry. "But not this time!"
            They watched as the manikin took off down the meadow without wasting a moment.
            Soon, Aunt Suzy, who was outside sitting on her little chunk of a trunk, saw the pointed red thing approaching. She stopped what she was doing with the fire, and stared.
            “Bob!” she called. “What is that?”
            He came out of the Stump to take a look, standing there with a confused look on his face, not an uncommon occurrence
            It was zipping along pretty well now because there was an actual path through the crunchy snow and beaten down grass.
            “It’s a Plaidie!” said Uncle Bob, when it got close.
            “It can’t be, Bob. They can’t get in here,” said Aunt Suzy. “But what can it be?”
            If they had been trying to grab him it would have been an easy catch. He ran right up on them standing by the fire, and slid to a stop, looking up at Bob and then Suzy.
            “Whoa!” said Uncle Bob. “Are you a new kind of Plaidie?”
            “Why does everybody keep asking me that?” said the short man in the red hat. He looked disgusted by the question.
            “We’ve never seen you around here before,” said Uncle Bob.
            “That’s obvious!” called the little guy as he took off again, heading toward the Home Clearing, whether he knew that or not.
            “Not something you see every day,” said Aunt Suzy, with her hands on her hips watching him split southward.
            The next party to notice the red pointed thing moving rapidly through the brush was Cherry, who was perched up on Ralph’s cedar log with Maeve, having a nice conversation about stuff. You know.? It was dry up there, because the sun had been shining for a couple of days.
            “Do you see that?” Cherry asked Maeve.
            “Now I do. Whatever can it be?” said that lady bird. “It just can’t be a Plaidie. Anyhow, I’ve never seen one in a pointy red hat!”
            He ran right up to the log and looked at Cherry and then looked at Maeve.
            “I’m not a Plaidie, in case you are wondering,” said he.
            “You’re new around here, aren’t you?” said Cherry.
            “Yes, I am. I must say that it has been a strange introduction to this forest!” he said, in exasperation. “I don’t even know what a Plaidie is. They must be real stinkers, from the sound of it.”
            “I think we better go see my father and mother. My father is the Forest Lord here,” said Cherry. She jumped down off of the log, to be on the same level with the little man.
            “Is he friendly?” said himself.
            “Oh, yes. No problem. If you’re going to be around here you should probably meet him anyhow, and mom too,” said Cherry. “I’ll show you the way.”
            Cherry walked beside him, and Maeve flew-hopped, as they followed the well-worn path to the fire circle.
            “What’s your name, by the way?”
            “Sven Olafssen.”
            “I am Cherry, and the Raven is Maeve,” said Cherry.
            “Evermore,” remarked Maeve, mid-hop.
            In pretty much a twinkling, this group presented itself at the fire circle. Ralph looked at them and smiled.
            “Welcome,” said Ramona. “Sit by our fire, Sir!”
            “His name is Sven Olafssen,” said Cherry, rather proud because she remembered the very unfamiliar name.
            “You are welcome, Sven Olafssen,” said Ralph, who was very curious. “I’m glad the Forest gave you passage among us.”
            “My thanks, Forest Lord and Lady,” said Sven very nicely.
            “No need to be so formal, I am Ralph and my Firekeeper is Ramona. I see that you have already met Cherry and Maeve.”
            “You honor me,” said Sven.
            “Please be seated,” said Ralph. “So tell me, Sven, how do you come to be here?”
            With some difficulty, Sven climbed aboard one of the convenient log sections placed around the fire.
            “Sir, Ralph,” he said, “And Ramona, I am a professional. I go about the forests and fields. I have certain duties. I plant mushrooms. I encourage bees. I count and succor the field mice. In addition, I tidy the nut trees, and keep the blackberries from smothering themselves with overgrowth.
            “If you will allow it, I will stay and nurture this forest,” said Sven. “I see some need.”
            “You are certainly welcome,” said Ralph. “But where will you make a home?”
            “Oh, I will make a small underground house, and in time I will bring Rosa. You will barely notice us.”
            “That sounds wonderful. You must bring Rosa to meet us too,” said Ramona. “Now, would you like to have some fish soup with us? It’s just now ready.”
            “Yes, thank you, but tell me, what in the world is a Plaidie?”
            “In two words, a wicked Fae,” said Ralph.
            “Oh,” said Sven. “Them! Never heard the name.”
            “Local variant,” said Ralph.
            So it was that Sven and Rosa Olafssen, Forest Gnomes, professionals, came to live in the Great Forest.
            Sometimes someone saw Sven, but usually they didn’t!

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