Fairy Tale Cottage - 6 Of 9

Chapter 6 - Roly Poly's guide to self-care. Fairy Tale Cottage. Roly visits Jolly Polly.

A lovely story about a gorgeous cat, to help you rest and relax. For anyone who needs an escape from the demands of modern life.

Written and read by C.M. Lewis, with additional music by Louise Burrows.

Transcript

Fairytale Cottage Nobody knew quite where Fairytale Cottage was.

Most people had heard of it,

And some people had a rough idea where it was.

Some thought it was on the hill behind Golden Terrace.

Others disagreed.

No,

It's down by the river,

Below Gate Farm.

Someone would try to convince you that it was the other side of Mary Stevens Park.

Everyone claimed to know something,

But truth be told,

Nobody knew for sure.

Roly Poly,

On the other hand,

Knew exactly where Fairytale Cottage was.

Today that's where he was heading,

Off to see his dear friend,

Jolly Polly.

She was his oldest and dearest friend.

Roly Poly knew Jolly Polly back when he was the cutest,

Cuddliest kitten that ever lived.

A ball of woolly fluff,

He was beyond cute.

Mind you,

He still is.

It was Jolly Polly who had taken him in when she had found him abandoned in a shoebox outside the post office all those years ago.

How could someone do such a thing,

She thought.

To such a beautiful,

Gorgeous kitten.

She could not believe anyone could be so cruel.

Jolly Polly is a delightful woman.

She loves all animals.

So it was no surprise when she took the beautiful kitten home and gave him his name,

Roly Poly.

She was determined to give him a wonderful start in life.

The king himself would not have been treated any better.

They lived together in domestic bliss.

But as time passed,

It became clear that Roly Poly was not destined to stay in one place.

Adventure called.

He had itchy paws and wanted to explore the world beyond the garden gate.

Roly Poly was fated for a life on the road.

He left Fairy Tale Cottage,

Safe in the knowledge that he could return whenever he wanted to find a welcome waiting for him back at home.

Today was just a visit.

It had been many months since he had seen Jolly Polly's lovely face and tasted her even lovelier food.

Of course,

I can't tell you precisely where Fairy Tale Cottage is either,

But I can tell you all about it.

Fairy Tale Cottage is at the end of a very long lane.

There is a Cotswold stone wall bordering the front garden.

A green wrought iron gate in the middle to mark the entrance to the path that leads to the front door.

The flower beds overflow with perfume and colour.

Hollyhocks and sunflowers stand tall at the back.

There is every colour of Cosmos waving in the breeze with their delicate feathery leaves.

Lupines,

Dahlias,

Snapdragons fill out at the front and orange marigolds line the edges.

A rustic wooden arch frames the old oak door.

Pink roses that smell of heaven weave their way around the post,

Tumbling out on every side.

At the front of the cottage a swing seat was positioned to one side.

From there you could enjoy a perfect view of the garden.

Small terracotta pots of herbs were dotted around the stone patio.

The smell of thyme,

Lemon balm and mint mingled with lavender and honeysuckle,

All filling the air with a delightful perfume.

The grass that covered the lawn on either side of the path was thick and green,

Embroidered with daisies.

If you have ever imagined a Fairy Tale Cottage then this is what it looks like.

Jolly Polly had painted the cottage pink and all the windowsills were adorned with coloured bits of broken plates and tiles.

Everything was just perfect,

But not so perfect as to be uncomfortable.

Inside there is even more wonderfulness.

Jolly Polly was a homemaker,

In every sense of the word.

Fairy Tale Cottage is a haven of beauty and comfort.

Rolly Polly was making a surprise visit today,

So when Jolly Polly opened the door she was smiling from ear to ear.

But Jolly Polly had a surprise for Rolly as well.

Six months ago she had been down to the post office to post a birthday card to her brother Lovely Lenny.

Much to her surprise she had discovered a small shoebox,

Inside,

Would you believe it,

Another abandoned kitten.

Even more surprising than this,

The beautiful ball of fluff inside bore a striking resemblance to Rolly Polly.

Miss Molly,

Or to give her her full name,

Jolly Molly Holly Golly,

I know ridiculous but that's Jolly Polly for you.

Miss Molly had a stunning tortoiseshell coat,

Which is a delightful combination of ginger,

Black and white.

Her coat was cuddly and cosy,

Just like Rolly Polly's.

It was woolly in texture,

Like a teddy bear.

What are the chances of having two cats having such similar appearance?

Admittedly their shades were different,

But the similarity was nonetheless so much so that Jolly Polly was convinced that the two of them must be related.

But despite all her research she could not find a match on cat's estuary.

It didn't take long for Rolly Polly and Miss Molly to snuggle up together in the back garden,

On the hammock which was stretched out between the two lilac trees.

When it was time to eat,

Jolly Polly brought them a feast of food,

Fresh fish,

Crunchy delights and creamy milk.

Everyone just had a lazy day,

Not really doing anything,

No plans and no commitments.

Jolly Polly was reading her book,

Sat in her window seat overlooking the garden.

She watched as the two cats stretched out on the grass,

Following the sun as the day unfolded.

She looked around at her lounge,

At the comfy chairs,

The vase of flowers standing in the fireplace.

In the winter there was always a roaring fire to keep the room warm,

But today there was no need to light a fire,

It was a perfect sunny day.

There were photos of Rolly Polly on the wall,

Some of him when he was a kitten,

Others from the times when he had visited over the years.

She displayed some of her own paintings.

Jolly Polly loved to paint using bright colours to create her own fantasies with fairies,

Pixies and mushrooms.

The room was full of joy and wonder.

Rolly Polly always looked forward to his visits to Fairytale Cottage.

When he came,

He was able to unwind.

There was nothing for him to do,

He could relax and switch off.

He was glad that Miss Molly had come to live at Fairytale Cottage.

Often when it was time for him to leave,

He felt a pang of guilt.

Not that Jolly Polly ever made him feel guilty,

She wanted everyone to follow their own dreams and to live a happy life.

Thankfully,

Miss Molly had no interest in moving on.

She had made a home for herself with Jolly Polly and was there to stay.

Like Jolly Polly,

She did love it when Rolly Polly came to visit.

She was enthralled by his stories and adventures,

Especially the time when he told her all about how he went to an awards ceremony with the now famous author Rita Gita.

Rolly Polly ended up staying for the rest of the week.

It was a perfect retreat,

Just what he needed.

But when Saturday came,

He was up early and while everyone was still asleep,

He slipped out and headed off down the lane.

The call of adventure beckoned once more.