good fortunes

I had a happy Chinese New Year.

The Stork found a paper dragon somewhere, and we both dressed up in our red ribbons.

Ted and Lopsy brought us some of the fortune cookies that Teddy had made.

We ate them for our elevenses.

I felt quite nervous about the fortunes, even though Lopsy had promised that they would all be good ones.

I really need a lot of good fortune at the moment.

What a relief. Mine said that everything will be all right.

The Stork’s had a picture of favourable flying conditions.

He took a basket of the crumbs up to the cuckoos.

They seemed pleased.

Sure enough, there was good news almost immediately about my friend Kimbleton’s hunt for Walrus and Bruno.

I had heard that Kimbleton had found a second clue, and would have to hurry on to follow it up.

Which meant that they couldn’t go back to the Fairy Prison to check whether Points is being held there or not.

Apparently the Fairy Prison is very small indeed.

The more I think about it, the more likely it seems that if I were the Director General of Prisons, that is exactly where I would send anyone as small as Points.

So I’ve decided that I’ll have to head there to ask the fairies to release her.

I’ve made a nice fairy cake which I hope will smooth the way.

I’ve started to collect my equipment together.

Bicycle panniers, helmet, hi-vis jacket, tent, tent poles, sleeping bag, warm clothes, waterproof clothes.

Swimming trunks. (The fairy prison is at the seaside.)

Bucket and spade.

The fairy cake. Mustn’t forget that.

Perhaps I’ll leave the bucket and spade, since I’ll have Points on the back of the bicycle on my way home.

I wonder if I could manage without my sleeping bag? The nights will be getting a little less cold soon.

I’ll have a map to fit in too.

I took a circuitous route last time.

But Jenny has promised to print out a map for me, so this time I won’t go via Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucester, Sir Fynwy, Gwent, Powys, Cambridgeshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Rutland or Cambridgeshire.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’m aiming for the same bit of seaside as last time, so that route wouldn’t get me to the right place anyway.

My packing was interrupted by Ellie, who called by on her way to the park.

I’ve heard of Public Pianos in stations and shopping centres.

It’s a very good idea to put them outs, during a pandemic.

Are pianos waterproof?

Of course Ellie played beautifully. A little morsel of music by a baker called Lilly.

I wish Teddy could have heard it. He loves anything French.

Afterwards we sat and chatted in the cool sunshine.

Though I can’t imagine what Jenny could do to one of those scooters to make it suitable for Ellie.

They’re ridiculously big.

I came back and puzzled some more over what on earth the latest clue is that the Tardigrade has found.                                                  

I was a little sceptical about the previous clue they’d told us about.

They believed they were hot on the trail, because they’d found a seaside sculpture that they felt sure was in Walrus’s style.

I have to say, I wasn’t convinced that Kimbleton would be able to spot Walrus’s style.

But apparently this time they have incontrovertible evidence that they’re on the right piece of coastline, and that Walrus and Bruno must be nearby.

They telephoned to report that they’d found a message on the beach which had clearly been written by Walrus and Bruno.

And I hope to have good news myself, about Points.

But it may not be very very soon, because it will take me quite a while to get to the Fairy Prison.

I haven’t even finished packing yet.

I nearly forgot my mask.

Just as well everything’s going to be all right.