The Twig People of Mossdown Woods Read online

  Dedication

  For my children: son Joe, and daughters Nicola, Kerry, Lucy and all the children in the world.

  INTRODUCTION

  (Another story in adventures of the Thomson family)

  (Staring Joe and Lucy)

  Once again, the Thomson family go on holiday. This time, they have asked Mum and Dad if they can go to Mossdown Woods in the countryside. They have heard that the woods are full of wild life creatures and Joe wants to ‘I spy’ with them. Both Mum and Dad have agreed to take them there in their campervan.

  Their teacher, Mr Squeeze is quite a know all when it comes to wildlife behaviour. He enjoys telling his class pupils what sort of food the creatures eat when the children tell him what they have seen. Both Joe and Lucy enjoy hearing Mr Squeeze explain things to them as do all her class friends, so they hope to see lots of animals and creatures in Mossdown Woods.

  Having brought their bicycles with them, they decide to cycle into the centre of the woods. It is a beautiful place, and as expected, there are lots of creatures to be seen. But they become even more surprised when they discover some different creatures called the Twig People and the magical nature queen called Laura.

  Laura tells them about Dirty the swamp demon who keeps hurting the trees of Mossdown Woods. She takes the children to see him. He is a really horrible looking monster.

  The children feel sorry for all the trees and creatures of the wood so they tell the nature queen Laura they will help her get rid of Dirty the swamp demon. They promise to return the next day with a plan.

  On their return to Mum and Dad at the campervan, the children think up a real good plan to trick the dirty demon into leaving the swamp land for ever. When they tell Queen Laura what the plan is she tells them it is ‘perfect’ so it all works out the way they have planned it.

  When they returned home and back to school, both Joe and Lucy were able to show Mr Squeeze their note books and a list of all the animals and creatures they had seen. But when he saw Dirty the swamp demon and Laura the nature queen, he asked them to explain and tell the class the whole story.

  All the children sat quietly wide eyed eager to hear their story about what they saw in Mossdown Woods. Not a whisper could be heard. Even Mr Squeeze looked excited with his eyes as wide as saucers. You will have to read the story to find out how they tricked Dirty the swamp demon into leaving the woods forever!

  The Twig People of Mossdown Woods

  The Thomson family finally arrived in dad’s campervan at Mossdown Woods. Their children Joe and Lucy were excited and had brought their bicycles with them.

  It was a nice camp site where dad had parked his campervan in a field overlooking the sea shore. Lots of other families were staying in their caravans too. It seemed just the place for a long weekend holiday.

  Mum and dad Thomson were now busy unpacking as the children raced off on their bikes to Mossdown Woods. There were lots of poppies and daises in the fields around them. Swallows and seagulls flew above their heads as they raced each other while rabbits hopped and ran through the grass. Some red admiral butterflies glided around like floating jewels while blackbirds and song thrushes could be heard singing in the trees. It could not have been a nicer day to arrive as the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky.

  It was not long before Joe and Lucy saw the sign post reading: THIS WAY TO MOSSDOWN WOODS. They had now arrived. It would seem a pretty place to walk through. But now they had brought their bikes they could go much further into the woods. They soon saw their first creatures. A badger, then a squirrel and the fleeting glance of a fox as it quickened away into some bushes. It was fun to play ‘I spy’ with the animals and creatures they saw. Joe was already writing them down in his note book to show his teacher at school. Often Mr Squeeze would ask him to tell the class what he saw the creatures doing. Then Mr Squeeze would tell them the kind of food those creatures would eat. He was quite a know all when it came to that question.

  2

  The well worn paths in the woods were covered in twigs and leaves. Their cycle wheels spun over them leaving a trail of tyre tracks. It was as good as a sign post to find their way back, they agreed. As usual, they tried racing each other for a while until they reached the middle of the woods.

  Mossdown Woods was a huge place, almost as big as a forest. Not many people had ventured going very far into it. The trees were much bigger and thicker the further you went in. This meant it was not easy for the sunlight to shine through the tops of the trees. Therefore it was darker in the middle and beyond. But to the Thomson children this was an adventure.

  Both Joe and Lucy thought they would spot a lot more creatures here and kept their eyes open not wanting to miss any. Here and there some startled birds raised the alarm as their wheels spun up the leaves behind them. They ‘I spied’ a badger as they peddled along.

  It was still only mid afternoon and although they were in the shade it felt quite warm. They had now stopped racing each other which gave them a chance to notice some smaller creatures. Some moles and mice were seen and a tree lizard fell onto Lucy’s head as she passed a huge oak tree.

  Joe said he would have plenty to write in his note book for his teacher to see and Lucy agreed. It now seemed like a good idea to do just that before they forgot some of the creatures they had already seen. Having decided they had gone far enough, the stopped beside a big earth mound covered in moss. It seemed just the place to sit upon for a rest.

  3

  The children soon found a nice cool patch and placed their bikes against a tree. Joe took out his note book and discussed with Lucy all the creatures they had seen. He wrote them all down then shared a packet of juicy fruit sweets with her.

  It was nice and peaceful there in the woods. Some small birds chirped a lullaby as they lay on their backs looking up into the trees. They again played ‘I spy’ with each other until they heard what sounded like somebody whispering around them. It must be their imaginations, they thought. But after a few minutes of listening it seemed certain it was real enough and not their imaginations. The children looked at each other and searched the trees with their eyes. Although there was nothing to be seen but the trees and some birds, the whisperings continued.

  Both Lucy and Joe stood up holding each others hands for reassurance. Just at that moment they heard the sound of a branch cracking and saw it crash to the ground near to them. It appeared to be moving around but they could not make out why. All the little twigs on the branch were making a crackling noise like breaking twigs. Slowly but surely, all the leaves on the branch were disappearing. It was then that the children saw them!

  At first, Lucy and Joe thought they were some kind of twig insects but soon noticed they had a sort of human shape to them. Now they could see their twiggy shaped legs and arms and moved like giant ants. Some stood up like little people with thin shaped heads. A pair of dusty brown eyes shared their faces with a small button sized nose. What passed for a mouth seemed more like a crack in a piece of wood. The children looked at them with great surprise. The whisperings were becoming lauder and more excitable as the twig creatures continued to crackle. After a few moments had passed, the twiggy creatures came to form a circle around them. They stood about 18 inches in height.

  As the children looked down upon them, they noticed their small twig like hands and feet. They had no shoulders, yet they looked wiry and strong. Joe and Lucy were fascinated and now knew it was not a dream. Suddenly the twig creatures began to twitch. Their eyes in their thin pear shaped faces flitted from left to right looking curiously at the children. Now the whisperings became really laud and filled the woods around them. Only some bird chirpings could be heard above their w
hispering.

  Without warning, a blinding flash of soft pink light filled the circle in which they stood. What seemed like a cloud of pink rosy mist appeared before them then changed into beautiful soft colours which hung like a rainbow over the circle. Then as if by magic, the whisperings stopped but the children were not afraid.

  4

  In the middle of the circle a shape began to form. It was taller than the children as they watched it glow with rich colours of yellows, blues, pinks and greens. Then they saw her!

  She was the most beautiful person the children had ever seen. Standing before them was a beautiful girl with the prettiest face you could imagine. Her long golden hair was soft and rich with ringlets of wispy curls. Her sparkling emerald green eyes shone out of her pink satin face. Her red lips seemed to kiss the children and her teeth were as white as snow. The children thought she was some kind of an angel without wings. She was wearing a veil like dress of pastel green lace. In her right hand she held a rod that twinkled all over with beautiful jewels. All the twig people crackled as if to welcome her making sounds like scratching grass crickets. Joe and Lucy listened as she began to speak to them.

  ‘Greetings dear children. I am Laura the nature queen of Mossdown Woods. I come with love and peace. I look after the earth kingdoms of all living things. My powers work only for the goodness of all creatures and trees in the woodlands. My job is to keep the woods clean from disease. I watch over the trees, the birds and the creatures that live here. We clear up the damage that Dirty the swamp demon does when he infects the trees of Mossdown Woods. Do tell me what names you are known by?‘

  The children had never heard such a beautiful voice. Laura was smiling at them. Her head tilted to one side awaiting their answer. The twig people copied as if listening with great interest too. After the children gave their names, Laura held out her hands towards them. ‘You are welcome to Mossdown Woods’ she told them. These creatures are the twig people I have made. They are the wood doctors who make the trees well again each time the swamp demon spits his goofballs at them. The twig people are made from every letter of the alphabet. Let me introduce them to you. Would you like that?’

  Joe and Lucy nodded and looked around at the circle of twig people. Queen Laura thumped her rod three times on the moss covered ground. The dazzling jewels sent sparkles of beautiful coloured lights in all directions. Suddenly a hush came over the woods. Not a sound could be heard now. Even the birds were silent.

  Again Queen Laura spoke. ‘My beautiful twiglets’ she told them. ‘Give Joe and Lucy your names so they may know from which tree you were made’.

  The twiglets whispered and crackled, each joining their wiry hands together. Their dusty brown eyes lit up excitedly. Then one by one they whispered out their names.

  ‘I’m Ash, Birch, Cedar, Damson, Elm, Fir, Gum, Holly, Ironwood, Juniper, Katsura, Larch, Maple, Needles, Oak, Pine, Quince, Rose, Sycamore, Tanglewood, Utopia, Varnish, Willow, Xtra, Yew, Zelkova’ they all called out in turn.

  The children were impressed. Joe said it was a good idea to write them all down in his note book. It would be a surprise for his teacher to name trees after each letter of the alphabet. Queen Laura smiled lovingly at the twiglets. The children looked closely to notice the many different shades of colours to them all. Now they were beginning to understand, but there was still more they wanted to ask the nature queen.

  As they stood in the centre of the circle with her, a fragrance of delightful perfumes filled the air. They could almost taste the hints of Rose, Lavender and Lilly of the valley flowers. It seemed to be the very essence of the nature queen. Now they wanted to know everything about the twig people. But more so, who was Dirty the swamp demon? They were soon to find out.

  Joe was bursting to speak, but Lucy got in first. ‘Why does the swamp demon want to harm the trees?’ she asked.

  Laura looked sad for a moment as two tears trickled from her emerald green eyes. ‘The swamp demon is evil’ she answered. ‘He is the beast of foulness, badness and disease. He hates everything that is beautiful in nature and causes disease in the trees and flowers. If the trees die, then the birds will have nowhere to nest. All the woodland kingdoms will turn into swamplands then all the birds and creatures will die. If this happens, only Dirty the swamp demon would be happy. That is why the trees need the twig people to look after them’.

  The children’s eyes were as wide as saucers. It all seemed like a dream, they thought. But still they had more questions to ask the nature queen. ‘Where does the swamp demon live?’ asked Joe.

  Queen Laura lifted her rod and pointed to the far side of the woods. ‘Come, I will show you dear children’ she answered. ‘But do not let his eyes see yours. For just to see him is enough to make you feel sick. He lives in a smelly steamy swamp and oozes with slimy green galligoogoo. He is absolutely foul and eats poisons from the rotting trees that he spits upon’.

  Both Joe and Lucy shuddered. But quickly the good queen Laura touched them gently to sooth them.

  The children stood at either side of Laura as the twiglets formed into two lines and crackled along behind them. As they walked, they noticed that the nature queen moved as if she was floating on a golden misty cushion as they could not see her feet. She was glowing with all the beautiful colours of a rainbow. It was all so magical to see her glide along between them.

  5

  They passed through a pathway of trees as lots of creatures appeared to pay their respects to the nature queen. Rabbits, Squirrels, Foxes, Wood rats and an assortment of birds arrived. They hopped, ran, chirped and sang alongside of them, all the way to the edge of the woods. Then quite suddenly they saw it! The swampland of Dirty the swamp demon.

  Laura held up her rod. It was a sign for them to stop. From behind some bushes, the children looked from where they stood. It was not a pretty sight!

  Not far ahead of them was the putrid swampland. Green and brown muddy waters were bubbling all over the place as heavy steamy dew seemed to float just above it all. It was a picture of chocolaty green slime, and already, Lucy and Joe could smell the foulness of it from where they stood. ‘This is where Dirty the swamp demon lives’ whispered Laura. ‘Even this swamp used to be a beautiful crystal pool where lillies grew and frogs and fishes used to swim. But since he came to live there, he has poisoned all the water with his foulness. Now nothing can live there but the dirty demon’.

  The children looked closely to see what at first seemed like a blob of brown jelly sliding through the muddy waters. But as they watched, they could see it was some kind of an animal. Then without warning, it stood up. It was dripping with slime and had a face which made the children gasp! It looked like a cross between a gorilla and a dragon.

  The monster snorted green slimy sprays from its nostrils. Its thick wet muddy fur coat dripped with slimy goo. Patches of black, grey and brown sick yellow spots gave him a hideous appearance. Both his paw hands were like claws with sharp hooks on. It was everything the children imagined the devil to be but without the horns.

  Now as if the monster was looking for something, the dirty demon looked over his filthy swampland. He slowly and slyly looked around to where the children, Laura and the twig people stood. Queen Laura quickly shouted to the children, ‘Get down! Get down! I think he may have seen us’.

  Both Joe and Lucy bent down behind the bushes. Laura pointed her rod at the dirty demon and sent a fierce bolt of lightening towards him. The swamp demon threw back his head and opened his mouth to show a menacing set of razor sharp jagged teeth. His purple tongue dripped with slimy goo as he let out a challenging scream. Then he shook with anger and threw back his head again. This time a blob of sick yellow slime exploded from his mouth and shot across the swampland into some trees nearby.

  Immediately after this, Dirty slumped and skulked back into his sewage bed from where he had arisen. The nature queen tapped her rod on the ground as the twiglets whispered amongst them selves. Then like an organised army, they set to work on t
he trees which had been hit. Already the attacked trees were trembling and shaking as if they had been blown by a great gust of wind. The twiglets could be heard whispering kindly to the sick trees to sooth them. Quickly they sought out the branches which had been hit with the demons poison goo. Then one by one some branches began to fall to the ground as Joe and Lucy looked on. Now just like the first one they had seen all the leaves were being cleaned away.

  Laura spoke to the children. ‘You see how nasty the swamp demon is? It is because he is so ugly that he cannot stand the sight of beautiful flowers or trees. He would turn the wood kingdoms into swamplands if he could have his way’.

  Joe and Lucy shuddered. ‘That would be a terrible thing to happen’ they told her. ‘Was there not something they could do to stop him’ they asked each other.

  Little tears of sadness slid down the twiglets faces. ‘If only one day we could stop the swamp demon from killing the trees and flowers’ said Laura. For a few moments the children watched the sadness in the twiglets faces which made them feel very sad themselves. Just then, Queen Laura tapped her rod and magically they stopped crying.

  ‘We would like to help, wouldn’t we Lucy?’ asked Joe. Lucy nodded. The children loved the woods and trees with all the wild beautiful flowers they had seen. It would be horrible if animals and creatures and birds had nowhere to live, they agreed. Surely they could both think of a plan to get rid of Dirty the demon, they told each other.

  Once again the beautiful nature queen spoke to them. ‘If there is some way you can help dear children, then so be it. But I must warn you, the dirty demon is very powerful and nobody has been able to tame him, not even me. You will need to come up with a cunning plan’.