systematic investigation into the whereabouts of our friends Tom and Ruffy
1st August 2023
Oh. Hello. Bimbo here, at the Campaign Office.
The campaign is to find out whether Tom’s all right, and where Ruffy is.
(Ruffy was arrested nearly two years ago on a trumped-up charge. Or possibly on no charge at all. And Tom has gone to look for him, but isn’t keeping us informed of his progress. So we’re very concerned about both of them.)
The younger ones can race about searching for them, but I’m too old for that.
So I’ve volunteered to run the Campaign Office.
I’m coordinating search efforts, and keeping everyone up to date on the two parallel investigations.
We’ve already had two Zoom meetings to discuss our strategy.
I’ve been elected to chair the meetings, which saves a lot of time.
We agreed that it would be good at least to rule out all the Fairy Prisons.
At first everyone wanted to go with Ellie to meet the fairies.
When she persuaded them that it would be better for her to go alone, they all wanted to do something to help.
So then there was a discussion of what the rest of us can do, while Ellie goes to talk to the fairies.
There was a general consensus of the meeting that any idea was better than none.
I wrote a note to remind myself to draw up the wording of the ideal wish.
We collected other ideas for wishing opportunities.
We agreed to meet in real life at the Campaign Office, as soon as Ellie had prepared her scooter for her journey, and charged its batteries.
Of course Bunce, Snowy, and Monkey were busy on the farm, but a couple of days later, the rest of us reconvened.
Jenny had baked a butterfly cake. She really can turn her hand to anything.
(You know it was her that made Ellie’s electric scooter.)
Ellie’s scooter was in perfect order.
Luckily, the weather was fine.
Didcot arrived with the fairy dress, and Ellie reluctantly put it on.
We put the cake in a cake box, and put it on the back of the scooter.
Then we waved Ellie off, and moved on to Any Other Business.
Several people reported that they’d made wishes. Or at least attempted to make wishes.
I know how important it is for people to feel that they are doing something useful. So I didn’t express my doubts about the efficacy of all this wishing.
And in any case, there are more things in the furry and unfurry worlds than are dreamt of in our philosophy.
But I think the next stage will be to move on from the fantastical to the geographical.
Therefore I’ve got out my map of British cycling routes.
I think that’s the best way to work out where on earth Tom has got to.
I really don’t have much faith in all this wishing. But I certainly do wish Tom and Ruffy were safe home.