Adventures in the wilderness.

Once upon a quite recent time, there were three little boys Bobby, Johnny-Rueben and Jim.

For most of their lives they had lived in cramped and somewhat dismal surroundings for such lively creatures, but fear not, little stopped the bouncing and mischief the miniature people craved, for small boys have surprising abilities for naughtiness and adventure.

One day, in a rather splendid and unexpected way, they found themselves living in little boys' paradise, in a wilderness of jumble and space. Quite glorious Space, most definitely with a capital S, what treasure.




Bobby, Johnny-Reuben and Jim ran and they ran and they jumped and they span. It was magical. A most precious time of memories and joy.

It seemed as though time stood still, days were no longer measured in minutes and hours but much more by fun and noise and inevitably dirt. Small boys are magnets for the likes of grime and things of unpleasant odours.

The grown ups were banished from the wilderness, not for them such mysteries and freedom. Housebound and dull, exactly as grown ups have always been, they could be seen spying on the little people and watching the adventures from afar.



The littlest of little people was especially watched, he sometimes forgot that there are dangers in the wilderness and with his preference for shoes too big and unsuited for rugged and treacherous terrain he would venture forth fearless in the search for his wiser and courageous brothers. The grown ups seemed not to appreciate the magic of fences and angels who watch over special boys and they hid behind doors and window frames and kept a close and often tear filled eye on this littlest of little people.
The mother grown up was especially sad when she watched the adventures of the wilderness, for in her world, time was still measured in days and hours and minutes and she saw that time was running out.
She saw the delight her miniature people were basking in and she wanted to hold the magic forever. She knew that soon, the wilderness would belong to some new children, little girls called Betsy and Mable.
Would the wilderness be wasted on some prissy little persons who might run from the toads and dragonflies? Would Betsy and Mable understand the wonder of mud and the tangled hedgerows?
Mother grown up was sad to think that the treasures would be missed and may even be left to rot or be forgotten, even worse cut down and cultivated, made pretty and useless.

Would Betsy and Mabel tell Bella their secrets?



Would they stroke her silken ear and whisper of plans for tomorrow?



Time was flying and Bobby, Johnny- Reuben and Jim would be leaving the land of fun and freedom. At summer's end it would be time to move to the house of nooks and crannies. They must leave the wilderness and move to an abode of new adventures, enclosed gardens with their own hidden mysteries and a house with many rooms. This new house, with the river and bridge at it's entrance, like a castle with a moat.



Mother grown up began to think that for some, change is it's own adventure. That each new life will bring it's own joy and mystery and that maybe, just maybe, Bobby, Johnny- Reuben and Jim would find new joy in the house without the wilderness.
She thought about times when she was a small person ( yes, it is true there was a time, many moons ago, when mother grown up WAS small, imagine that!) she remembered having adventures and finding treasure and she saw that even when time has passed and the magic has gone, she can call it back and hold it tight. The little people will still be happy, they will make more memories and hide the treasure in their hearts and minds. She knew that when they were old and they too were banished to the inside, where all grown ups belong, that her little people would rescue the memories and remember the treasure. Her heart lightened and she vowed to make this summer the most magical the small people could possibly imagine.
Magic is wherever little people are, where you find the little people, especially the dirty ones, who measure time with grime and unpleasant odours, there will be treasure and heart pictures, memories and joy. In castles and box rooms you will find whatsoever your heart desires, sometimes you might just have to look just a bit harder but that makes the finding so much more divine.
The End.