The enchanted wood.
by
E. Ned Blyton-Society
“Dash it and a blow it” huffed Jane “That silly book has fallen again”
The big book of Fairies that Jane was reading had slipped from the carrying basket and plopped itself between her and Johns seats.
"Now I’m going to get my knees dirty."
Jane crouched down and rescued her book from under the seat.
John noticed the man opposite bend forward paying Jane’s activity a bit too much attention. Ever since they entered this compartment he had had his hands in his trouser pockets and shaking something in them.
“Um.. Jane get up please. I think our stop is next” he said. “Got it,” Jane exclaimed.
A look of disappointment overcame the man’s features and he went back to playing in his pockets.
It was their first trip alone to Aunt May’s house. Usually, Mother and Daddy came as well but Daddy hadn’t been home for some time now and Mother didn’t wake up until lunchtime these days and never really changed out of her dressing gown.
Though Aunt May was fun and let them do things Mother and Daddy wouldn’t, their favourite reason for their summer holidays was to return to the enchanted wood.
When they arrived at Puffington Station, Aunt May had arranged for a cab to collect them. The cab driver was a scruffy but happy man who asked John to sit in the front seat with him and was kind enough to ask John what he thought of his magazines that he kept in the glove box. There were just picture books of big muscled men. ”How do like those apples son?” the cabby asked.
“Very firm and ripe” John answered not really knowing what the man was talking about. When the children arrived at Aunt Mays the driver said to John if he wanted he could show him a way to save Aunt May the cab fare. John was too excited to be at their destination that he smiled and ran inside.
There to meet them were cousins Dick and Joan. “Oh it is so good to be back again”
But instead of happy talk and hugs, Dick and Joan both wore long faces.
“Oh, Jane and John it so terrible what they have done. We’re so glad you have come”
Said Joan. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” asked John and Jane together.
“The enchanted wood” began Dick “It’s all gone”
“No” exclaimed both John and Jane. “How?”
“The council has bulldozed the wood and the little people are lost” cried Joan.
“We must go investigate,” said John.
The children ran through the field that ran along the back of Aunt Mays house and jumped the brook. There in front of them where the lush trees and heavy ferns of the enchanted wood once stood was a construction crew building a stadium and huge car park. Together the four of them approached a large man with a hard hat on.
“What have you done to our wood and what of the fairy people” yelled Jane
Two questions were obviously too much for this man because he replied “What?”
“Why is this happening?” cried John.
“Oh, I see” began the large man “The wood and the insects”
“Fairies” Joan corrected.
“Right, well what can I say kids. It takes a lot of money to build a stadium like this and on week ends a lot of mum’s and dad’s wanna see their kids play, so that means a lot of cars. Car parks can’t make themselves not like trees they pop everywhere, did you know I’m growing one in my lounge room?”
“What about our friends the Fairy people?” sobbed Jane
“Oh, yeah. Them. Well, they put up a good fight, with their itchy spells and fart bombs, but when the guys realized that when you squash them they were made of raspberry jam, the battle was over. They took off somewhere else”
“You horrid horrid man” said Dick “Where did they go?”
“Couldn’t give a toss, now piss off, this is a building site and I got a monster turd poking it’s head out and your in the way of a good read on the porta-loo”The children had no idea what the large man was talking about as he turned and walked away leaving them sad and confused.
As the children walked slowly back to Aunt Mays a voice whispered. ”Pssst Hey!”
The children stopped. “Over here” the voice called. “It’s me”
“Ding” cried the children altogether. A small man with pointy ears, a green vest and a large hat stepped out from behind a shrub.
“You’re alright,” said Joan as she went to hug the fairy.
“But we lost so many.” Ding said as he hung his head and sobbed “Poor poor thing” comforted Jane.
The children and Ding sat in the long grass warming themselves in the summer sun, they waited for Ding to compose himself.
“It was so horrid.” Ding said eventually “But we were badly beaten, but we have regrouped and have made a decision” But the children just looked back at him with blank expressions, he continued anyway. “We will bring forth the bad majik, we have gathered the witches and asked for and paid dearly for their services. We will regain what is ours at any cost” By now Ding was hopping up and down , while Jane and Joan were making daisy chains and Dick was taking a nap. Ding continued
“Beware, my
little friends, remove yourselves from the zone only fire, brimstone and gnashing of teeth await those who stay” and with that, he twirled three times quickly and disappeared in a puff of smoke. “I’m hungry.” said Dick “Me too.” said the others and they went back home for dinner.That night an explosion of devastating ferocity blew half the town of Puffington apart including the new stadium and its surrounds. At first, it was thought to be the work of Al Quida operatives working out of the south of England but this was discounted when no signs of detonation were found and large amounts of Raspberry jam were discovered all over the blast site.
The children spent the rest of their summer holidaying at Brighton.
