Lady Sybil

This is Lady Sybil Chomodley-Mainwaring. 




She is a retired solicitor and JP, all the birds and 
animals on the marina go to her with their legal 
problems. She paces up and down, giving 
their problems her most serious consideration.

In the evening she listens to the radio, sometimes 
Tchaikovsky's  Swan Lake comes on, then, oh then
Lady Sybil dances like a swan, elegant and stately.

Freedom for Dink

All the next week the weather remained warm and dry so every morning Jennie and Cassie carried the cages out in to he garden under the shade of the huge oak tree.
Because of this Lois and Max spent as much time as they could in the garden too. Max was enjoying making friends with all the different animals, but Lois only had eyes for Dink. They sat either side of the bars that separated them, gazing into each others eyes and whispering sweet nothings to each other. Oh how they wished they could be together for ever.

What a change had come over Lois she was usually always in trouble, tormenting her brothers and sisters, upsetting the older mice by rushing about yelling and screaming, never doing her share of the chores and always running around looking for adventure, now she was quiet and listless.

Tulip, Lois's mum was becoming very worried about her, she even took her to see Dr Wefton as Lois was off her food, but he could find nothing wrong with her. Tulip even wondered id Los was going deaf as she never seemed to hear when anyone spoke to her.

When Max realised how worried Tulip was he persuaded Lois to tell her mum about Dink.
Lois and Max explained how they had met and made friends with the other animals and how they were especially friendly with Dink because he was the only animal who lived alone. All The other animals lived with a friend or in a group but Dink had no one, he'd always lived alone and didn't realise what he was missing until he met Lois.

As son as Tulip herd of Dink's plight she called a tribe meeting. All the mice were very worried about Dink and resolved to rescue him. A reconnaissance set off to assess the cage and reported back. It was bad news, the cage was very secure, it kept Dink safe but it meant it was difficult to escape from. By the time the team had explained how difficult it was going to be to help Dink, night had fallen and it was dark out. Lois knew it was too late to talk to Dink as all the animals would have been put back in the shed. Lois just wanted to be alone.
As Lois appeared from under the shed a voice said "Your boyfriend is asleep, you'll have to wake him up"
"Hello" said Lois why are you all still outside?"
"I think they have forgotten us tonight" said Chip.
"Never mind" said Smokey "it's a nice mild night, well be ok"
"I'm not asleep" said Dink "and I'm cold, I've come upstairs as there is something wrong with my floor, it's cold and damp".
Lois went over to Dink's cage, she started to jump up and down with excitement.
"Dink your cage is on the grass, the base is missing" yelled Lois, "Start digging, I'll get the rest of the family".
Dink clambered down from his bedroom and started scrabbling at the edge of his cage. In no time at all Lois returned with all the best diggers in the tribe. It wasn't long before there was a tunnel running from the bottom of the cage to the garden and Dink squeezed through. Dink was free at last, he was covered in earth and was almost the same colour as Lois. She ran around him combing and cleaning his fur until he was black and ginger again. Lois & Dink wandered back towards the shed with their arms around each other.

Lois and Max

One sunny day two little mice called Lois and Max decided to play outside in the garden. Now they had been told often enough by their mother to stay under the shed during the day where it was safe.
But it was hot under the shed, it would be cooler outside and any way, they were bored, all the other mice were asleep.

Lois and Max crept out from under the shed and straight away turned around and ran back under. Outside there were two huge animals, they waited a few minutes, expecting one of the animals to try and follow them. Nothing happened so after a while Lois peeped out from under the shed to see what was going on. "Come on Max" Lois called "the animals are in cages, they cannot hurt us". Max followed cautiously, he was not so sure. Lois was his older sister but she was always running headlong in to trouble and expecting him to rescue her.

By the time Max appeared from under the shed Lois was sat in one of the cages chattering away to the animal. "Lois!" Shrieked Max "what do you think you are doing? That cat will eat you." Max went weak at the knees with fear.
"I'm not a cat, I'm a chinchilla, my name is Smokey I won't hurt you and neither will my dad. That's him in the next cage, his name is Chip." 
"Is your dad ok"  asked Max, staring at what appeared to be a squashed bundle of fur in the next cage. "He's ok, he just likes sitting in tight spaces".
Max didn't look convinced so Smokey called "come on out dad, you are frightening my new friends".
Chip climbed up on to the top of his sleep box and looked at the mice.
"What are you doing out during the the day?" Chip asked, "you'll catch it if your mum sees you."
Lois explained that they were bored and that it was hot under the shed. "Mum's won't know we've gone as she's asleep".
"What are you doing outside?" Lois asked.
"Our owners carried us out this morning before they left for school, they said we would enjoy the fresh air."

"Who else is out?" Asked Max.
Smokey introduced the other animals.
"This is Bradley and Pip" he said pointing to the gerbils. "Hamish and Marina they are hamsters".
"Jet and Hazel" he pointed to the rabbits "there are the guinea pigs too but there are so many of them I can't remember their names!"

"Hey, what about me, don't forget me" called a voice from a small cage beside the shed.
Max and Lois ran round to look in the small cage. Inside was the handsomest mouse Lois had ever seen. Instead of being browny grey like Lois and her family, this mouse was a sleek and shiny black and when he climbed up the side of the cage Lois could see he had the most beautiful ginger under belly. Lois was smitten, she'd never seen such a beautiful mouse before. It was left to Max to make conversation with the mouse as Lois just sat there staring at him.
Mind you Dink, as the mouse was called wasn't much help. He seemed just as smitten with Lois as she was with him. Drink thought Lois,was the most beautiful mouse he had ever seen with her soft browney grey coat and creamy white tummy and feet.

Max lost interest in Lois and Dink who seemed happy just to stare at each other and went back to talk to Smokey and share his peanuts.

Suddenly Max realised he could hear his mum calling, he scampered across to Lois who was still gazing at Dink. Max grabbed Lois by the paw and dragged her home.

The Mice of Nice Mice Ride

This is the story of three brother mice who lived at 27 Nice Mice Ride, their names were Heb, Neb and Lancaster.
This was a very nice place to live as there were no CATS so it was very safe and there was always plenty to eat.
In the autumn there were blackberries and acorns that fell from a huge oak tree. The mice buried these in the soft grass and dug them up again when there was no other food around to eat.

The people who lived in the house often said it was more like mowing a forest than a lawn as sometimes the mice missed some of the acorns and they grew into tiny trees. It was a good job there were plenty of acorns as squirrels and deer often visited the garden to dig up acorns too but there were always plenty to go around.

The situation improved even more when new people moved into the house. At first the mice were quite worried about having new people in the house in case they had CATS or maybe they would put traps down or even poison. They need not have worried for although the new people did have pets they had guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters and chinchillas and they all ate the sort of food mice enjoy. Better still they used hay and soft paper bedding that mice don't often get to line their homes with.

Not long after the new people moved in they built a shed in the garden for their pets. This was great as it gave the mice somewhere new to live without having to dig holes. It also meant lots of free food as all the pet food was stored in the shed, once the people realised there were mice living under the shed they would accidentally on purpose drop some food on the grass for the mice.

By this time the mice were pretty sure the people were friendly so one summer's evening when the people were sat outside, three little mice called Heb, Neb and Lancaster decided to try and get the them to help with a problem.

Some of the acorns that had been buried earlier in the year were stuck fast in the ground and try as they might the mice could not get them free.

Once all the people were sat in chairs on the grass, Heb, Neb and Lancaster started to dig and tug at the acorns. The people watched them but didn't do anything, the three little mice were just beginning to think the people were really stupid when one of the people knelt down and prised an acorn out of the grass. "Hooray" squeaked Heb, "about time" agreed Neb. Lancaster grabbed the acorn and ran home under the shed with it.

The people were digging out more and more acorns and soon all the mice were running to and fro collecting all the acorns they could carry.

Light and Shade

Image from Unsplash taken by Anne Spratt

I'd read and I'd studied tirelessly, early mornings, late nights, desperation driving me on.

I'd pored over old maps, followed old paths and trails.

Interviewed people who claimed to know the way.

Paid out good money for information, so far all to no avail.

But maybe this time would be different, maybe this time I would succeed.

I didn't fit into my family, the relationship was scratchy.

Not unkind, not at all, just a lack of understanding.

When Granfer first described me as a changeling Ma had shushed him.

But the word had stuck, was I a changeling was that why I didn't fit.

I'd spent a long time trying to work out when I first arrived in the family.

There were no photo's of me as a tiny baby, just as a toddler.

Ma claimed this was because they didn't have a camera when I was first born but this wasn't true as there were photo's of Ma with a huge tummy and of my older brother Jimmy at the age he was when I'd been born.

Then she'd found a photo after Gran had died, just one, of a large dark haired baby propped up in the arms of my brother.

On the back, the legend Jimmy and Mary.

When had I stopped being Mary and become Marigold?

How had that large dark haired baby turned into a tiny blonde toddler.

I'm convinced I'm was on the right track literally, I'm walking along what looked like a disused railway track.

Up ahead was a circle of light, this, I'm convinced i the entrance to the fairy realm, the place I really belong.

Three little mice 4

The three little mice were having a wonderful time.
They were staying up late and watching TV. 
They were getting up late and eating junk food. 
The water giver kept their saucers topped up with food and fresh water but the naughty little mice preferred the ribena they sometimes found in an abandoned cup.
Sometimes Jes and Jed watched the boy people play computer games, all loud noises and flashing lights that Jem didn't like so he usually had a nap.

The mice soon learned to listen for the noise of the people arriving home from school, this was their favourite time of the day, what Jes, Jed and Jem waited for. The people would rush in and start looking under the dresser, under the cupboards and the table. When the people spotted the three little mice they would hold out pieces of crisps or biscuits, maybe a grape or a strawberry. Nervously the mice would take it in turns to scamper forward and accept offered treat.

When the mice were full and feeling tired there were lots of warm dark corners they could curl up in and go to sleep.

They often looked out the tall window into the garden and they could see their family and friends. They banged on the glass to attract their attention and waved but the glass was too thick so they could not make themselves heard.

For a while the mice were very happy but as time went on the water giver noticed that Jes, Jed and Jem were spending more and more time looking out of the big window. They were missing their friends and family.

One day the water giver found the three little mice sat in front of the TV, they weren't watching it they were just sat looking sad.
The water giver said to them "Are you missing your family? Do you want to go home?"

Jes, Jed & Jem looked at each other and then at the water giver, they all nodded.

The water giver bent down an held out her hand with her palm flat. The three little mice climbed onto her hand. She opened the tall window and stepped into the garden. She gently lowered Jes, Jed and Jem on to the grass. "Off you go" she said and the three little mice ran off towards the shed. "Were home" they squeaked "and you wouldn't believe the adventures we've had". All their friends and family crowded round they were so glad to have the three little mice home and they wanted to hear all about their adventures.

Three little mice 3

After the three little mice had drunk the water that they had been given they decided to explore the house some more.

They crept from room to room, the house seemed to be empty apart from the water giver who was sat at a desk in one of the rooms writing and she took no notice of them at all. 

There were so many rooms to explore the three little mice became quite confused as they wandered around.

In one room there was a huge window all the way to the floor, Jes, Jed and Jem spent some time looking out of the widow looking for their friends but it was raining very hard and everyone was sheltering out of sight.

The three little mouse continued to explore for some time, occasionally they stopped and curled up in a quiet corner and had a snooze. When they woke up they carried on exploring, there were bathrooms, bedrooms, rooms with tables in, but the best room of all was the kitchen, there was still a saucer of water down for them and a bowl of nuts and cereal had now joined it. The mice were grateful but they would rather have had junk food.

Jes, Jed & Jem had a drink and then curled up for another nap under a large dresser, they had not been asleep long when there was an almighty bang. The three see mice awoke with a start, it was the front door opening.
In rushed the four humans that had rushed out earlier that morning. Again there was lots of laughing and shouting as they argued about what they were going to eat. The water giver came into the room and said "Don't eat too much, tea will be ready at 6, lasagne and garlic bread".

"Mum" said one of the people, "why is the a saucer of water and a bowl of muesli under the table?"

The water giver put her finger to her lips "we have visitors, but you must be very quiet or you will scare them."

The people fell silent, the water giver pointed to the dresser, they all knelt down and peered under the dresser. Jes, Jed and Jem peered back. After a few moments the people stood up quietly and tiptoed away.

Three little mice 2

When Jes, Jed and Jem awoke the next morning they discovered they were all stuck together. Some of the sugar on the cereal they'd eaten the night before had fallen on to their coats and when they had snuggled up together to sleep they had become stuck.

They eventually pulled themselves apart and cleaned their fur. They decided to explore their new surroundings and crept out from underneath the cupboard where they had slept.

The kitchen was quiet, there seemed to be no one about but no sooner had they left their hiding place when CRASH!

Four humans rushed into the kitchen, they were all talking at once, laughing and chatting, grabbing bowls and plates from the cupboards, milk from the fridge and bread from the bread bin.

The three little mice peeped out, their tummies started to rumble and their mouths started to water at the sight and smells, all the food they'd been dreaming of. Cereal, toast, jam and marmite, bacon frying and eggs being scrambled.

Jes, Jed and Jem watched hopefully for any crumbs that might be dropped. Suddenly with a cry of "Look at the time, we'll be late for school" the four humans rushed out and the room was empty and quiet yet again.

The three little mice crept out of their hiding place again and scurried about, grabbing paws full of delicious food and shoving it in their mouths.

The only thing missing was something to drink, there were no leaky pipes in the kitchen. Jes, Jed and Jem were discussing what the should do as they were all getting very thirsty. They were stood under the table and trying to decide how to find water when another human walked slowly into the kitchen. The little mice froze in fear, they hoped if they stood very still the human wouldn't notice them hiding under the table. The human didn't seem to notice them. She walked to the sink and turned the tap on. It was torture for the three little mice, listening to the water splashing when they were so thirsty but they didn't dare move. After a few moments the human bent down and placed a saucer of water on the floor. "Be careful" said Jes, "there might be a cat here and the water is for the cat".

The human bent down again and this time she pushed the saucer of water towards the three little mice. "You must be thirsty" she said and walked slowly and quietly out of the kitchen.

Three little mice

Jes, Jed and Jem were three little mice who lived

at 27 Nice Mice Ride. One day they decided that they
were grown up enough to go out into the big wide 
world and start their own mouse colony.

They wanted to stay out late, sleep until noon and eat 
junk food all day. They were fed up with being told 
“Eat your greens up” and “Get up, it's your turn to 
find breakfast, everyone is hungry and waiting”

The three little mice thought if they lived with their 
friends they all be as lazy as they liked and it wouldn't
matter. They decided to become house mice and to 
move into the human's house, it was warm there and 
there was always plenty to eat, especially junk food 
like biscuit and crisp crumbs, not boring stuff like 
acorns and seeds.

Finally the great day arrived. This was the day they 
had been planning for. They had spent a long time 
checking the outside of the house and working out
how to get inside. They tried to persuade some of the
other mice to go with them but no one would, they 
were afraid of what might await them inside the house.

Our three brave adventurers had no fear, they would
soon be living the life of Riley. They crept around the 
shed, along the patio wall and then ran to the safety 
of a large dandelion growing beside the door. They hid
underneath the dandelion leaves and tried to get their
breath back while they waited for the door to open.
They waited and waited, shivering partly from cold as
it was getting dark and had started to rain and partly 
from fear. Would the door never open?



Just as they were about to give up and return home, 
the door opened, “Quick lads, here's our chance!” 
squeaked Jes, the three mice threw themselves 
through the door just as it was closing. “That was a 
close shave” panted Jem “Is everyone ok?”.
Once they'd checked each other over and decided they
were uninjured they looked around to see where they
were. They hadn't got right inside the house but at
least they were out of the rain. There didn't seem to 
be much food around but by now the three little mice 
were too tired to care. They found a dark corner and 
snuggled up in a little furry ball and fell asleep.


The next morning the three little mice woke up as soon
as it was light, they stretched, had a wash and crept
out to look for something to eat. “I thought you said 
there was good food to eat in the house” said Jed
“I can't find anything, not even an acorn” complained
Jem. “We aren't in the house yet” explained Jes.
“We have to get through that door over there, then 
there will be plenty to eat”. As the day wore on the 
three little mice got hungrier and hungrier for there 
was no food anywhere to be found and they couldn't 
even go home as they couldn't get back out through 
the other door. 



Fortunately there was plenty to drink as there was a
leaky pipe behind the dishwasher so they had a good 

supply of fresh water. Eventually it started to get dark
again and just as the mice were settling down to sleep
the door opened. The mice crept nearer and nearer,
would they be able to slip through before the door shut
again? Yes, they made it, they hurried through the 
door and dived for the nearest cover under a cupboard.



As they sat there puffing and panting, trying to get
their breath back Jed started to sniff around. "Hey,
look what I've found" he squeaked, he was jumping


up and down with excitement. Someone had spilt a 
handful of sugar coated cereal by the cupboard door 
and it hadn't been swept up yet. The three little mice 
thought they were in heaven, this was what they had 
been hoping for, they ate and ate until they felt sick. 
Then they wriggled under the cupboard and fell fast 
asleep.

Procrastination

My response to this weeks writing challenge.

She sits at her desk, a coffee in front of her, beside it screen is her phone. Her laptop open but ignored as she slowly strokes the leaves on the money plant.

Ironic really, she had a deadline for the article, it has to be submitted today but her mind is blank.

She can usually turn out an article in a few short hours but she's been struggling with this topic all week now and all that she has typed is the title word.

She drinks her coffee, puts a few drops of plant food in the pot holding her money plant and twirls her phone round, still nothing.

She visits the ladies room, looks out the window to check the weather and then returns to her desk.

She reorganises her desk drawer and the pot that holds her pens and pencils, but still her mind is blank.

Who'd have thought it would be so difficult to write an article about procrastination.

Faggots

I can see them from my window and I shudder.

I try to ignore them and focus on the wildlife but it's no good, my eyes are drawn back time and time again.

I think I'll have to move on, the fear is really affecting me.

Every time I walk past I'm convinced I can smell burning. The fear gets stronger.

I will definitely have to move soon, that's the good thing about living on a boat, if you don't like your neighbours or the area, just move.

It's a shame, I like it here, it's quiet and conveniently placed but I'm too scared to sleep and waking in a panic in the night.

There is a huge bonfire being built in a nearby field, that doesn't bother me. It's just a pile of rubbish, stuff that will burn.

But this, this scares me, if I get too close I swear I can smell burning, I can feel the heat.

They don't burn witches nowadays, but they used to, or at least that was the excuse. Most of us weren't witches, we were just too old, a bit strange, too inconvenient.

It's the neatness of the branches, they remind me of the faggots, lined up, stacked almost upright around the stake. This is not a normal bonfire. This could have been stacked by someone who burned witches in their previous life.

Clairvoyant

The feeling was subtle at first like a cold breath on the back of her neck.
She shivered, next came the prickling across her scalp.
She tried to ignore the signs and gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles were white.
There were bends in the road but the day was clear and bright.
In her dreams the accident happened in a blizzard, everywhere was white.
It was just a dream she told herself but it had terrified her.
Sweat broke out across her top lip, she slowed her speed slightly but kept on driving.
She'd not traveled this route before but the road looked familiar.
She breathed steadily trying to control had rising panic.
It was no good, she couldn't carry on.
She checked her mirrors and changed lane, she pulled up into a layby.
As she did so the tanker coming towards her lost control. It turned on its side and split open with the force of the impact.
Everything went white as gallon upon gallon of milk sprayed from the stricken lorry.
The car that had overtaken her hit the tanker and was almost sliced in half.
With trembling hands she phoned the emergency services, there was nothing else she could do.
She sat and sobbed, thankful for the dream that had given her warning of the accident.

Piano

She sat in the bar nursing a gin and tonic, it depended on the bar staff whether she was left in peace or asked to leave. Brendan was on duty tonight, he always let her stay.
 Brendan had the most beautiful brown eyes, the sort of eyes you could drown in, he reminded her of Paul.

In the back room there was a piano, dusty and unused now, but when she was younger, she smiled at A
the reminisce.

Now she was a bag of bones, skinny and untidy but she was clean, she didn't smell despite what some of the bar staff claimed.

She'd always been tiny but had curves in all the right places, and wearing her red satin evening dress she had been so glamorous, a real stunner.

Back then Paul had played the piano, she sang, songs of love and longing, of loneliness and despair.

Sitting in the bar the years fell away as she hummed one of the old songs but all too soon her glass was empty and it was time to leave.

Out in to the cold leaving her memories of Paul behind, they'd had a few happy years until a bomb had dropped near their lodgings killing Paul. Leaving her a sad and lonely widow.

Mistake

What a stupid mistake to make thought Annabelle ruefully.

She should have known better than to trust anything her Uncle Jim told her.

The rest of the family said he was a bit touched in the head, a bit simple.

Joe himself claimed to be a changeling, swapped at birth  by fairies who wanted a human child.

Either way Annabelle had been stupid to trust him.

He'd sworn the book had been given to him by a fairy but he'd probably found it in some junk shop somewhere.

But Annabelle was desperate, pale skin and red hair was not a fashionable look, blonde and tanned was, and that's what the recipe book promised.

She collected all the leaves and flowers listed in the recipe, added the stagnant water and pond slime and mixed up the awful smelling ingredients, she was almost gagging at the stench.

She was greatly relieved that she didn't have to drink the stuff but only had to apply it to her hair and skin.

Annabelle stayed hidden in the garden shed once she'd covered herself in the foul smelling gunk, she didn't dare go near the house in case her mum saw her.

Once the prescribed three hour wait was up Annabelle walked back across the garden and into the house, mum and dad were at work and her sisters were at school.

She ran upstairs and into the bathroom, turned on the shower and stepped under the warm water.

The stuff gradually washed away but it wasn't until Annabelle rinsed the soap out of her eyes that the full horror was revealed.

She was green, green from head to toe, including her hair.

Human error

As she waited to be called, her thoughts drifted back to her job, the one she should have been doing instead of being here. 

She was on the late shift today so they wouldn't be wondering where she was. They weren't a nice company to work for, the staff were poorly paid and generally treated badly. Any till shortages were taken out of their wages at the end of the week. She'd soon realised that the other staff members tallied up at the end of each day and and extra was stashed against future shortages. Not taken off site as that would be stealing but everyone had their preferred hiding place.

She was still struggling to understand how she'd ended up with £100 shortage, she was meticulously careful when taking the bets and handing out winnings. It was unlikely to be human error.

She shivered despite it being a mild spring day and despite the heat from the lights but she could also feel sweat trickling down her back, strange to be shivering and sweating at the same time. The Abba song Super Trooper kept running through her head. She knew it was the name of a theatre light but the lights she was under were smaller though still bright.

She was relieved that had given her a mask, it gave her at least the illusion of safety. Glancing around the room she could see a couple of people busily working and she noticed the room was spotlessly clean which made her feel better.

Someone spoke to her, "Are you ok Libby?", she nodded.
"Everybody ready?" "Then let's start".
There came a rush of instructions to put an arm here, a leg there, head up, head down. This went on for almost an hour, her muscles ached and she was parched but then it was over and she was free to leave clutching an envelope.

The following morning Libby returned to work, the envelope buried in the bottom of her bag. When everyone was busy with customers Libby took £100 out of the envelope and added it to her till, she breathed a sigh of relief, her till would now balance at the end of the week.

Whoever would have thought there was money to be mad just for dressing up as an old style school teacher complete with cap, cane and gown and nothing else but the mask.