Poppy was eating her breakfast.
Her favorite doll,
Mabel.
Was sitting on the chair next to her.
Mabel had a red-stitched mouth.
And buttons for eyes.
Her black curly hair was made of wool.
And she wore a pinafore dress in blue.
Poppy had provided Mabel with a bowl of porridge.
With honey drizzled over the top.
Just like our own.
Poppy never went anywhere without Mabel.
They'd been best friends since Poppy could remember.
They had every meal together.
And ate the same food.
Poppy told Mabel all her secrets and wishes.
And loved Mabel with all her heart.
Once they had finished their porridge and honey.
Poppy began to pack herself and Mabel a bag of necessities.
She was planning to spend all day outside.
And for that.
.
.
They'd need a few things.
She packed bottles of water for them both.
And some snacks from the cupboard.
From the fridge,
She took out some sausage rolls and strawberries.
Mabel and Poppy had matching sunglasses.
Poppy packed those too.
Along with her coin purse,
Which jangled as she lifted it.
Soon they had everything they needed.
Poppy swung her bag over her shoulders.
Clutched Mabel in her arms and headed out to the garden.
Poppy's house had a wonderful garden.
But what was even better?
Was that it sat on the edge of a huge forest.
This was Poppy and Mabel's favorite place to explore.
In the garden.
Poppy's father was sitting underneath a tree,
Reading.
Poppy asked him if they could go and explore the trees beyond.
He smiled up at the two of them.
Have you got some water?
He asks.
Have you got some snacks?
They had those too.
Her father nodded his permission.
But reminded Poppy that she should be back by suppertime.
Poppy promised she would.
And finally,
She and Mabel walked through the creaky wooden gate at the end of the garden.
And out into the forest.
Poppy made her way down the path that ran from her garden into the trees.
And noticed how the ground became softer.
Then she looked up and marveled,
For the hundredth time,
At how enormous the trees were.
If you looked up for long enough.
The sheer height of them could make you dizzy.
Poppy thought of the trees as her friends.
They watched over her as she explored and wandered the woods,
Always keeping her safe.
This forest was ancient.
And Poppy knew the trees in here had healing powers.
If she ever felt upset.
She could come and sit beneath one of the magnificent oaks,
Beaches,
Elms,
Or birches,
And feel all the negativity drifting away.
It was as if all her worries were taken off her shoulders.
Away from her heart.
They went into the tree trunks and then up.
And a.
And ah.
Until they floated away through the tops of the trees.
After walking a little further.
Poppy came to a fork in the path.
There were three ways she could go.
She asked Mabel which way they should choose today.
There was the path that bent off to the right.
Which Poppy and Mabel had taken many times.
It led to a small stream that ran through the forest and made a relaxing,
Tinkling sound.
As it rushed over rock pools and stones,
The sun would bounce off the water,
Making it glisten and appear almost magical.
Then there was the path that went straight on.
That led to a steep ascent up a great hill.
It was a tiring hike.
But the views once you got to the top.
Were worth it.
You could see for miles in every direction.
Finally!
There was the path that twisted off to the left.
This one led to a magnificent willow tree,
With a rope swing hanging from one of the branches.
Poppy and Mabel had enjoyed playing on it many times.
While Poppy waited for Mabel to choose,
Something caught her eye.
She could just make out a path she'd never noticed before.
Between the one that went straight on.
And the one that turned to the right.
How could that be?
She was sure there had only ever been three paths.
Poppies stepped closer.
It was a narrower trail than the other three,
And slightly concealed behind the low-hanging leaves of the nearby trees.
Maybe that was why she'd never seen it before.
Mabel,
Look.
Poppy showed Mabel her new discovery.
They peered at the strange new pathway,
Squinting at where it led.
The path was twisty and a little messy.
It wasn't like a path made for or by people.
It looked entirely natural.
As much a part of the forest as the trees and birds.
Poppy looked at Mabel.
And decided they would explore this new path.
Of course,
Mabel agreed.
After climbing through the hanging branches,
They set off down the winding trail.
They couldn't see where it led.
Which made it all the more mysterious and exciting.
The path was surrounded by trees of all shapes and sizes,
Which Poppy had never seen before.
Some had leaves of all different colors and shapes.
Were other trees that seemed to whisper to one another.
In an ancient and secret language which had been long forgotten by humans.
And there were trees that hadn't been seen by people for thousands of years.
The ground became softer the further Poppy walked.
It was covered in moss.
She stopped for a moment,
Slipping off her shoes to feel the ground with her feet.
The moss was squishy and cool.
Poppy carried her shoes in one hand.
And Mabel in the other.
And continued her exploration of the new path.
She felt more connected to the nature surrounding her than ever.
Feeling the ground with the soles of her feet.
The woods had a rhythm.
And Poppy was perfectly in tune with it.
After walking for a while.
Poppy realized she'd forgotten to eat her snacks or drink any water.
She stopped.
Looking for a place to sit.
And saw that there was a moss-covered log nearby.
Perfect.
Thought Poppy.
She sat Mabel down first,
Before pulling off her rucksack and arranging the food and water,
Using the log as a table.
They dug into the sausage rolls and crisps hungrily.
Poppy drank a whole bottle of water.
Then held Mabel's bottle up to her stitched mouth.
They finished with a dessert of strawberries,
Which were juicy and delicious.
Poppy tidied up.
And put the rubbish in her bag to take home.
Then they set off once again.
Birds had been singing above them in the branches since they had entered the forest.
But something about the songs seemed a little different now.
Their singing was sweeter than ever.
And Poppy noticed that the birds seemed to be answering one another.
It was like they were conversing in their secret melodic language.
Poppy wondered what they were saying.
She reached out her hand.
And brushed the trunks of the trees she passed.
The bark was rough.
But it didn't hurt her hand one bit.
As her palm moved over the grooves and knots.
A red-chested robin flew down and landed on the path.
He cocked his head to one side.
Peering at Poppy and Mabel with a curious look in his beady eyes.
Hello.
Said Poppy.
Said the bird.
Poppy Goss.
Surely it couldn't be.
A talking bird?
This way.
Said the bird.
And flew off down the track.
Poppy looked at Mabel.
She couldn't believe it.
There was only one thing to do.
She went after the bird.
Rushing to catch up with him.
She followed him out into a clearing where she stopped.
Her mouth falling open as she saw what lay beyond.
A huge,
Old castle stood in the middle of a giant clearing.
It had turrets and towers,
A moat with a bridge,
Hundreds of windows and miles of gardens.
The castle was covered in ivy that had grown all over the walls.
And the moat was empty.
The gardens hadn't been seen to in a long,
Long time.
The whole place was grand and beautiful.
But had been forgotten for so long.
That it had fallen into disrepair.
The robin swooped down and landed on the ground nearby.
Welcome home,
Princess Poppy,
He said.
Poppy looked at him in confusion.
How did he know her name?
And she wasn't a princess.
But you most certainly are.
Set the ribbon.
We have been waiting for your return for centuries.
Now you can restore the castle to its former glory and welcome home its other inhabitants.
Poppy opened her mouth to tell the robin he must have her confused with someone else.
But just then.
Something caught her eye.
A pair of small,
Round eyes was peeping out from underneath an overgrown bush by one of the castle walls.
As Poppy approached.
A tiny baby bear crept out.
He crouched near her feet.
Looking up at her nervously but hopefully.
He was the sweetest little thing Poppy had ever seen.
She bent down slowly.
So as not to frighten him.
And gently stroked his brown fur.
The bear seemed to enjoy the affection.
And slowly became less timid.
This way,
Princess,
" said the robin.
He was flying towards the bridge across the moat.
Which led to the grand front doors of the castle.
Poppy thought about correcting him.
She wasn't a princess.
But then,
What harm could it do to have a little look at the castle?
She turned to Mabel.
What did she think?
Well,
Obviously Mabel didn't want to stop exploring now.
The little brown bear reached up a paw,
And Poppy took it in her hand.
Then the three of them followed the robin over the bridge.
As Poppy pushed one of the huge castle doors open.
It let out a loud creak that sounded like a sigh of relief.
Poppy stepped inside.
Followed by the robin and the bear.
Then she felt a movement in the crook of her arm.
Mabel was wriggling as if she wanted to get down.
Poppy stared in amazement.
Mabel's button eyes were blinking.
And her stitched mouth was opening into a smile.
Poppy set her down gently on the floor.
And watched Mabel take her first few wobbly steps.
The robins swooped in a circle over their heads and came to rest on the bottom of a grand set of stairs.
Poppy looked at the space around her.
It felt oddly familiar.
As if she had visited this place before long ago.
Or in a dream.
The entrance hall was dark.
All the natural light was shut out by heavy velvet curtains.
Poppy crossed the stone floor and pulled the curtains open.
Light flooded in.
Poppy turned.
And saw that Mabel and the bear were beginning to explore the space now bathed in warm sunlight.
Robin,
Said Poppy.
Will you show us around?
The Robin Bow.
Before taking to the air once more and flying smoothly up the stairs.
The other three followed,
Excited to explore the ancient building.
At the top of the stairs,
They came out onto a landing.
The robin led them into every room.
Each one grander than the one before.
The castle had many floors.
And there were hidden spiral staircases.
Turrets that were so high they sat among the clouds,
And lots of passageways.
On the ground floor,
There was a grand dining room.
And kitchens big enough for an army of chefs.
There was even a secret door that led to a library.
The shelves were stacked with books,
All covered in a thick layer of dust.
Tall stained glass windows that reach the ceiling.
Filled the room with beautiful shining colors.
Next,
They explored the grounds.
As Poppy crossed the bridge,
She looked over the side at the empty moat.
A distant memory of koi fish and lily pads sprung into her mind.
How strange.
Mabel having only just learned to walk.
Was soon running and skipping through the tall grass and overgrown flowerbeds.
Poppy laughed and followed her friend,
Enjoying the feeling of absolute freedom in this secret,
Forgotten oasis.
It seemed to exist just for them.
The little brown bear ran on all fours and chased butterflies and bees.
As they got further away from the castle.
Poppy could hear the sound of rushing water.
She followed it until she came across a waterfall.
The water came rushing over big rocks.
And descended into a stream which flowed through the forest.
Frogs sat and croaked on the wet stones at the edge of the stream.
Blue and red dragonflies flitted about.
And the little brown bear dipped his head into the cool water and took a drink.
Poppy couldn't believe that such a beautiful place had been forgotten about.
Does this place have a name?
Poppy asked the robin.
It had a name long ago.
The Robin replied.
But that was forgotten.
Along with the place itself.
Maybe you would like to name it once again.
What an honor,
Thought Poppy.
She would have to think about it.
As she didn't want to name it until she had thought of something special in it.
Looking around,
She said.
I would like very much to take care of this place,
And clean up the castle.
What do you think?
I think that would be most wonderful,
Princess,
" The Robin replied.
Poppy looked at Mabel and the little brown bear.
Well,
" she said.
Let's get to work.
The four of them headed back to the main building.
To begin their mission of repairing the castle and its grounds.
Poppy decided she would like to start inside the building.
In the cellar,
They found pots of paint.
Brooms,
And brushes.
She also found a sewing machine that still works.
Poppy allocated jobs to each of the others.
As the robin could fly.
Would be in charge of the jobs the rest of them couldn't reach.
Would paint the ceilings and repair the large chandeliers that hung from them.
The little brown bear would sweep the floors,
Get rid of all the dust that had accumulated over the years,
And clean the old furniture.
Mabel's job was to collect all the broken things and decide which ones could be repaired and which could be thrown out.
Poppy would paint the walls,
Repair the curtains,
And arrange the furniture so that the place looked like a home once more.
After they had gathered everything they needed,
They got to work.
The robin holding a paintbrush in his beak.
Painted the ceilings with a fresh layer of white paint.
And in doing so.
He revealed the beautiful details and intricate patterns that adorned them.
Then he dusted the chandeliers and slowly put in new candles,
So that once lit,
They would illuminate the great halls.
The little brown bear used a dustpan and brush that were a little too big for his paws,
But he persevered all the same.
He dusted and swept until he grew sleepy.
Then he curled up for a nap in a corner,
Snoring gently with his paws over his nose.
Poppy repainted the walls using a ladder she'd found in a broom cupboard.
She dusted and cleaned the window so that the sunlight poured in.
Filling the dark rooms with golden light.
And making the space feel homely once again.
Then she rearranged and dusted down the old furniture.
Afterwards,
She removed the curtains from the tall windows with the help of the robin.
She then used the sewing machine to repair any rips and tears in the curtains.
Mabel found and collected a whole host of weird and wonderful items.
She separated them into two piles on the long table in the dining hall.
The to-keep pile was substantially larger than the pile to throw away.
Among the items was a gramophone,
With only the slightest crack in the speaker.
Then there was a China tea set,
Complete with teapot and milk jug,
And an odd number of cups and saucers.
There was also a grandfather clock that was missing the hour hand.
And an ancient vase decorated with koi fish and lily pads.
By the end of the day,
They were all so exhausted.
And they'd only finished the downstairs.
There were still many rooms and floors that needed working on.
Poppy and Mabel flop down onto one of the long couches.
And before long began to doze off.
The robin settled down on a cushion and soon fell asleep too.
And the little brown bear woke from his nap in the corner to join them.
He snuggled into the crook of Poppy's arm before falling asleep once more.
They snored softly,
Filling the grand room with the rhythmic sound of their breathing.
As they slept on.
And on.
The next day,
Poppy woke slowly.
The morning sunlight crept across the newly-cleaned floors and over the four of them,
Still lying together in a pile on the couch.
Poppy looked around at her snoozing friends and smiled.
Taking care not to wake them,
She stood up.
And headed into the dining hall.
There,
She came across the piles Mabel had made the day before.
Poppy admired the tea set and gramophone before her eyes fell on the vase.
She lifted it gently.
And looked at the images painted on its sides.
And there were intricate koi fish and lily pads.
The distant memory of the moat filled with fish and lily pads came back into her mind.
She had an idea.
Poppy went out the front door and stepped onto the bridge.
She paused,
Looking over the edge and into the moat,
Which sat empty and waiting to be filled.
Then she heard footsteps behind her.
And turn to see Mabel and the little brown bear.
The robins soon followed,
Perching nearby.
Good morning,
Princess.
What's the plan for today?
Poppy simply smiled and pointed at the moat below.
Together.
The friends brought up some pails from the basement.
Then they collected water from the waterfall at the bottom of the garden and poured it into the moat.
Soon,
The moat was full.
But now Poppy had another problem.
Where could she get koi fish and lily pads?
As she stood there,
Pondering this question,
A golden feather slowly floated down out of the sky.
And landed on the surface of the water.
Then,
The feather started to change.
It seemed to be getting bigger.
And transforming into something else.
Poppy watched on in amazement as two baby koi fish materialized.
And began swimming around each other.
Next,
A green leaf floated off one of the nearby trees.
Swirling to and fro,
Until it too landed in the moat.
The leaf sank below,
Before morphing and splitting into smaller pieces.
These pieces ascended to the surface of the water and unfolded into giant lily pads.
Poppy couldn't believe her eyes.
This place was so magical.
So beautiful.
She called for her friends to come and see.
As they marveled at the moat.
Poppy looked around the rest of the enormous garden.
The bushes were overgrown.
The grass needed cutting.
And new plants needed to be added to empty flower beds.
There was still so much to do.
But Poppy wasn't complaining.
She had enjoyed herself so much,
Surrounded by her friends both old and new.
She had never been happier.
Something niggled in the back of her mind.
A distant memory of a small house.
And someone sitting in a garden under a tree.
But she couldn't quite remember.
Anyway,
There would be time for that later.
Now the moat was complete.
It was time to crack on with the gardening.
As she headed off into the green oasis.
The Robin.
The Little Brown Bear and Mabel.
Followed happily behind their princess.
For now.
We'll leave the friends here.
In the castle garden.
So until next time.
Good night and sweet dreams.
