another doorstep party, this time with Points and Ellie

We had a party on my doorstep a few days ago, to welcome Points home from prison, and to congratulate Ellie on rescuing Points.

It was a nice party, but Points and Ellie never turned up, because Points had fallen into a deep sleep, and Ellie couldn’t wake her.

Ellie telephoned a few days later, to say that Points was now awake, and very hungry.

I wasn’t very keen to have the party on the front doorstep again, because so many passers-by turned up.

Of course it’s nice to get to know new people, but I felt it got rather out of hand.

Perhaps the back doorstep will be better.

I’ll get the food ready.

Jenny’s reminded me that there used to be a Fondue Set in a box at the back of the broom cupboard.

A Fondue would be just the thing for a party.
It’s nice for sharing. And it’s good to have something warm if you’re eating out of doors.

Jenny’s come round to help me prepare it.

It’s very simple. You heat up some wine, and stir in the grated cheese.

Then you keep it warm over a candle.

We’re not sure how we’re going to get the whole contraption out to the garden.

But our younger friends will manage it somehow.

I’ve got some Crudities (as Teddy calls them) ready to dip in.

Teddy’s bringing a baguette that he’s baked.

He’s very good at the French cooking.

I’m not sure what happened to the Or Dervs. Perhaps Lopsy ate them.

We’re all ready. The first guests are starting to arrive.

Oh look, here comes Ellie on her electric scooter.

There’s Points on the back.

Little Points. What a relief to see her safe and sound, and back with us again.

Whatever has Ellie got in her backpack? Ah, I think it’s Points’s ocarina.

She’s been in one prison or another ever since she and Ruffy were arrested back in the autumn.

They were peacefully protesting.

I don’t know why the police picked on them.

First they were locked up at the police station.

Then in one prison after another.

I tried to find out where they were being held.

But the Police and the Prison Officers were not very helpful or friendly.

I didn’t feel that they took my enquiries seriously.

My friend the Tardigrade is at the seaside trying to find our friends Walrus and Bruno.

They said they’d come across a Fairy Prison.

Judging by its size, it seemed a likely place for little Points to have been sent.

Ellie very kindly used her half-term holiday (she’s a nursery teacher) to go and investigate.

She set off on her electric scooter, with only a backpack, and a fairy cake to use in negotiations.

It seems she did find Points, and either persuaded the fairies to let her go, or helped her to escape.

No doubt she’ll tell us the whole story this evening.

Oh dear. They’ve only just arrived, and it’s starting to rain.

The rain was quite heavy, and everyone rushed indoors.

Which isn’t easy, because I don’t really have a back doorstep. Not one that you can step up.

I use a ladder to get in and out.

Ted and Lopsy managed to heave the baguette up into the kitchen.

Bimbo didn’t think it was safe to come indoors.

He went home in the rain.

I hope he didn’t get too wet.

Oh dear, that won’t have been good for his poor old lungs. Or his feet.

There was quite a mellay in my kitchen.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many people there at one time before.

Certainly never since the Virus began.

In fact nobody has been in the kitchen for the last two years except for the Stork, who lives here.

(Though come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since just before our last party, out on the doorstep.

He watched me preparing some of the food, and I’m afraid he didn’t like the look of it.)

And Um and the Baby found refuge here for a while.

Oh, and Kimbleton Tardigrade came to stay for a while, I’d nearly forgotten.

I wish Um and the Baby were here now.

The Baby would love a party, and I think it might cheer Um up a bit.

Anyway, there’s no time for repining.

Nor, now I come to think about it, for considering issues of social distancing or otherwise avoiding the spread of the Virus.

But we’re all good friends, so I don’t suppose we’ll catch anything from each other.

I’ve left the door open. I think that’s supposed to help.

Alexander the spider turned up again.

Now that he knows the way, I’ll probably be seeing quite a lot of him.

The fondue was a great success.

Various people played ambient music while we ate.

That was very nice. I ate rather more than I’m used to eating.

When we’d finished dipping in the crudities, we moved on to Teddy’s bread.

And then to the more indulgent foodstuffs.

And then I thought it was time for us to gather round and hear the adventures of Ellie and Points.

That was a good idea really.

Lopsy and some of the others were getting quite excited and silly.

My great-grandmother would have said “It will end in tears”.

First Gibbs played some marches on his recorder.

That wasn’t perfect, because everyone danced in straight lines.

So then Ellie played something rather less military on the piano.

And after that, Points got out her ocarina.

But it was just the thing for settling us all down, ready to hear the story of the rescue.

I don’t think I’ve ever made a speech before. Did that sound all right?